On July 8, 1997, Santa Clarita’s City Council officially adopted the Newhall Redevelopment Plan, marking a major milestone in the revitalization of Downtown Newhall. This approval transitioned the project from the planning stage into formal redevelopment.

The process of revitalizing Newhall began in January 1995 with a series of well-attended community workshops led by the city and revitalization expert Michael Freedman. 

These workshops ran through January 1996 and gathered valuable input from local merchants, property owners, and residents. The result was the Downtown Newhall Improvement Program, also known as the “Freedman Plan.”

The plan set out eight key goals:

• Expand economic niches for convenience and specialty retail.
• Create an attractive main street on San Fernando Road.
• Develop a memorable image reflecting Newhall’s history and character.
• Promote private sector investment.
• Strengthen Downtown Newhall as a community hub.
• Utilize visibility and through traffic to the area’s advantage.
• Improve parking.
• Develop special visitor-attracting facilities.

A major recommendation was to establish a redevelopment project area funded by tax increment financing.

In August 1996, the city hired GRC Redevelopment Consultants to draft a formal plan. A 17-member Redevelopment Committee was formed in November to review the proposals and advise the City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency Board.

From December 1996 to June 1997, the committee reviewed extensive documents, including the Environmental Impact Report, Eligible Project List, and the final Redevelopment Plan. Their efforts were instrumental in moving the process forward efficiently.

By June, the committee completed its review and recommended that initial redevelopment efforts focus on downtown Newhall. The City Council adopted the plan on July 8, 1997, embracing that recommendation and launching a new chapter in the city’s revitalization journey.

To read yesterday’s Today in SCV History, click HERE.

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