PLACENTIA : Fair Will Celebrate Downtown Renewal

The city’s annual street fair is expected to bring thousands of people Saturday to the revitalized Old Town District, which was once filled with vacant stores.

City officials say the event will celebrate downtown’s renewal.

“Just about every building down there has been renovated, one way or another,” said Councilman John O. Tynes, a 51-year resident of the city. “It’s coming along pretty good now.”

The annual Festival of Arts and Cultures Street Faire will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and include food, entertainment, a classic car show, games and a 40-foot Ferris wheel.

Tynes said the downtown area had fallen into decay over a period of more than 15 years.

Some low-income residents had resisted efforts to renovate the area in the early 1980s, fearing they would be forced out of their homes by higher rents.

But in subsequent years, the Merchants Assn. pushed hard for renewal, helping the city win state funding for redevelopment.

The downtown area was renamed Placita Santa Fe and major renovation including new residential construction began in 1989.

“The merchants have worked hard to turn things around,” Mayor Michael L. Maertzweiler said. “This represents a coming together of the community and the city.”

Downtown area development continues, with low-interest loans for new businesses still available through state redevelopment grants.

“There is some improvement of the area still ahead,” said Carol Gallo, executive director of the Placentia Chamber of Commerce. “But a good bit of it has already been accomplished.”