From Blight to Showcase : Oxnard: Heritage Square, the city’s most ambitious redevelopment project, opens after six years of work.

Less than a decade ago, the corner of 7th and A streets was a barren, blighted lot in one of the seediest parts of Oxnard.

Today, turn-of-the-century houses, rounded up from the city and nearby farms, cluster around courtyards, fountains and ornate wrought-iron street lights.

Heritage Square, Oxnard’s most ambitious redevelopment project, officially opened under sunny skies Thursday during a ceremony in which those who were acknowledged, commended and thanked nearly outnumbered the guests.

Past and present city officials, as well as business and civic leaders, were among about 150 on hand for the dedication.

The six-year, $9-million project showcases a church, water tower and a dozen houses in Queen Anne, colonial revival and California bungalow styles.

“This is redevelopment at its finest,” Redevelopment Director Steve Kinney said.

The houses have been redesigned to accommodate an assortment of businesses, from an optometrist’s office to a restaurant and bar to a real estate agency. About 30 tenants are expected to occupy the houses, some of which are not yet finished.

Most of the houses belong to private parties, who paid for the restoration and relocation. The redevelopment agency bought and restored two of the houses, which the city now hopes to sell.

The agency also bought and restored a 1915 Carpenter Gothic-style church with stained-glass windows. The church will be the only publicly owned building in the square and will be rented for weddings and community meetings.

City officials hope that the square, in conjunction with such recent additions as the Oxnard Transportation Center, the Farmers’ Market and the 7th Street townhouse complex, will spark a revival of the downtown area.

Redevelopment officials have tried to infuse life into the downtown area since the 1960s, when businesses moved to shopping malls and residents headed toward the suburbs, while homeless people and gangs moved in.

The city has invested about $5.3 million in Heritage Square, and it expects to recover only half of that from the sale of the houses, Kinney said.

But on Thursday, nobody was counting.

As speakers took turns at the microphone to praise each other for a job well done, a cheery crowd applauded and enjoyed coffee and pastries.

From Mayor Nao Takasugi to the electricians still busy putting the finishing touches on the houses, everyone received congratulations. Even the landscaper was singled out for praise. “Rocky, I’ve gotta hand it to you, you’ve done a heck of a job,” said a visibly moved Patrick McCarthy, the Heritage Square Homeowners’ Assn. president.

“A lot of people have used the word great to describe this project today,” said Councilman Michael Plisky, the last of the morning’s seven scheduled speakers.

“I’ll have to use that word again. This is a great day not just for Oxnard, but for the entire county of Ventura.”