Last Friday, the City of Fremont celebrated the groundbreaking of the Capitol Avenue Extension Project on the corner of Capitol Avenue and State Street. Thanks to a One Bay Area Grant of $5.8 million awarded to our City by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the City is now able to initiate the construction of a vital streetscape element that will connect the new Downtown to two major retail and employment centers as well as transit, with the Fremont BART station located just down the road.

I had the great honor of kicking off the groundbreaking event with a few opening remarks, announcing that Capitol Avenue will be extended from State Street to Fremont Boulevard which will include bike lanes, diagonal parking, a landscaped median, 10- to 15-foot sidewalks with street trees, and tie-ins to accommodate future charging stations. Construction is scheduled for completion in March 2015.

And then — the moment we’d all been waiting for — the official groundbreaking! Fremont’s Downtown is truly “On the Rise.”

 

Next up was a live performance by local Bay Area band, The Honey Wilders. Their vintage rock/power pop sound had everyone in good spirits!

Afterwards, the crowd migrated to Fremont Street Eats, a partnership with Fremont Chamber of Commerce, Fremont’s weekly food truck event, to sample a diverse array of culinary treats. Crowd favorites included Indian street food from Curry Up Now and Rice-Rockit, which specializes in Asian fusion cuisine. Those with a sweet tooth enjoyed Truckin Sweet’s gourmet ice cream.

Throughout the event, residents had the chance to try out a new, revolutionary virtual viewing device called OWL®. This interactive visualization technology, allows you to look into binoculars and see a comprehensive 3D model of what the Capitol Avenue extension, among other downtown developments will look like once complete!

Last Friday marked the beginning of Downtown Fremont’s transformation into a sustainable and vibrant place for the community to enjoy. The extension of Capitol Avenue will be the thread that connects together transit options, regional shopping centers, major employment centers, and surrounding neighborhoods into an area that will serve as a community focal point.

It was a truly momentous occasion for Fremont and an important milestone in our journey to become as our General Plan says a more strategically urban city.

Stay tuned! An event tied to the demolition of the former Citibank building will be scheduled for early fall. To learn more about upcoming events happening in Downtown, connect with us here. For more information on our Downtown groundbreaking event, check out our media release here.