FAIRFIELD — Longtime residents of Fairfield remember life before the Solano Town Center mall, but for most people the commercial site that began three decades ago has been a merchandising mainstay.
A movie theater and bookstore are among its attractions – and for residents interested in the downtown experience, Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City offer that in varying styles.
Vacaville’s history and Ulatis Creek shine in its central business district, the waterfront is a star in Suisun City and Fairfield is a reminder that old Highway 40 ran through town and – before Interstate 80 – was Northern California’s route to Lake Tahoe.
Fairfield businesses along Texas Street include the site of Pepperbelly’s, a popular comedy club before a January 2013 fire. Fairfield’s first movie theater, which opened in the 1920s, was once at the same location.
As part of plans to boost downtown, the city is paying $6,300 for conceptual architectural plans of the Pepperbelly’s comedy club site to use as documents in business recruitment.
But that’s small stuff next to the $807,500 consultant’s contract for a south downtown Fairfield and West Texas Street plan.
The One Bay Area program uses federal highway funds to pay for planning, said a city staff report. The Solano Transportation Authority distributes a portion of the money.
An effort by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments to guide regional development evolved into the One Bay Area grant program.
Councilman John Mraz raised concerns about the Solano Transportation Authority’s role, saying the agency “is telling us what to do in this city.”
The Davis office of Berkeley-based MIG Architects will prepare the planning document while working with three other firms on the plan for south downtown Fairfield, including land between Highway 12 and Kentucky Street as well as the County Justice Center and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Solano Town Center mall has its own, more recent history – including a $20 million renovation in 2006 and the later addition of a food court.
Other shopping areas in Solano County include Nut Tree Village in Vacaville and the Vacaville Premium Outlets. Nut Tree Village is at the home of the old Nut Tree restaurant, which before its closing was for decades a prime dining stop for those traveling between the Bay Area and Lake Tahoe.
Here is information on some of the area’s major shopping destinations:
Solano Town Center
1350 Travis Blvd., Fairfield
425-1164
www.solanotowncenter.com
Nut Tree Village
1681 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville
447-6000
www.nuttreeusa.com
Vacaville Premium Outlets
321 Nut Tree Road
447-5755
www.premiumoutlets.com
Downtown Fairfield
Fairfield Main Street Association
1000 Webster Street, First Floor, Suite A
422-0103
Downtown Suisun City
Suisun City Waterfront Improvement District
www.suisunwaterfront.com
Downtown Vacaville
Downtown Vacaville Improvement District
451-2100
www.downtownvacaville.com
Reach Ryan McCarthy at 427-6935 or [email protected].
