SUISUN CITY — Suisun City is a small community nestled amongst the delta marshes.
It has seen its share of changes over the years but continues to grow and evolve.
Most recently the 57,000-square-foot Holiday Inn Express hotel was completed. It has four stories and hold 83 rooms for visitors and a view of the downtown and water.
It includes two meeting rooms, an indoor pool, a catering kitchen, and a fitness center.
The next project is an ambitious multifamily housing project planned for vacant land that once housed a water treatment plant near the south end of Civic Center Boulevard. The project is currently in the final stages.
The town, with a population of nearly 30,000, is also getting the fiscal and shopping benefits of the Walmart off Highway 12 that opened a few years ago.
An alliance of local and regional performing arts groups now offer performances at the Harbor Theatre on Main Street and the historic train depot recently wrapped up its face-lift.
Suisun City is also home to the Kroc Center, which is operated by The Salvation Army, a history museum and a bevy of live outdoor entertainment during a typical summer.
Rush Ranch is a favorite spot for many who enjoy hiking the trails through meadows and green pastures. This beautiful spot is owned by the Solano Land Trust and was purchased in 1988.
The ranch runs along the northeast edge of the Suisun Marsh, stretching across 2,070 acres of marsh and rolling grassland. It provides recreational and educational opportunities to thousands of visitors each year.
The ranch, with its historical buildings and self-guided trails, is located approximately 2 miles south of Highway 12 on Grizzly Island Road.
The city dates back to 1850 when Josiah Wing, a schooner captain, found an island in the Suisun Marsh and built a wharf and warehouse there. It soon became the major agricultural shipping point for the farms and orchards in the Suisun Valley and Green Valley areas.
Its neighbor, Fairfield, was the smaller of the two towns. That changed with World War II, the construction of what’s now Travis Air Force Base and Interstate 80. Suisun City’s growth tapered off.
Tough years followed. In the early 1980s, a survey of San Francisco Bay Area communities called the town the least attractive place to live in the area, which spurred then-Mayor Jim Spering to take on an ambitious redevelopment effort.
Waterfront properties were redeveloped and the crime-ridden Crescent neighborhood was razed and replaced with a Victorian-style development. Improvements continued with the construction of a senior center, community center and library.
Suisun City’s new face earned it accolades such as Sactown magazine’s description of it as “a sweet and delightfully surprising vacation spot.”
Its downtown is still a work in progress with a good population of restaurants, small businesses and a marina.
The city typically hosts many events, including Christmas on the Waterfront and Fourth of July fireworks. During the summer, there are typically free movies on Saturday nights and jazz concerts Sunday afternoons.
Suisun City has long considered itself a recreation destination for fishermen and hunters going to the Suisun Marsh as well as paddle boarders and kayakers.
One of its best-kept secrets may be the Suisun Wildlife Center, which is home to a variety of wildlife. They experienced a fire earlier this year and are currently rebuilding but continue to provide medical help and rehabilitation for wild animals.
The 2010 census estimated Suisun City’s population at 29,492. About 38% of its residents are white, 24% Latino, 20% Black and 19% Asian. Its median household income is about $71,306.
Suisun City at a glance
- City Hall: 701 Civic Center Blvd.
- Website: www.suisun.com
- City manager: Greg Folsom
- Mayor: Lori Wilson. Elected 2018, term expires 2022. Reach at [email protected]
- Mayor Pro Tem: Wanda Williams, Elected 2018, term expires 2022. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilmember: Alma Hernandez Elected 2020, term expires 2024. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilmember: Jane Day. Elected 1986, term expires 2022. Reach at [email protected]
- Councilmember: Mike Hudson. Elected 2020, term expires 2024. Reach at [email protected]
Fantastic Article! I am so proud of the accomplishments of our city! Let’s keep moving forward!!