Riverbank might erect city hall where Del Rio Theater once stood. There’s a second option
Nearly two years after the historic Del Rio Theater was demolished, the site is in the running to be Riverbank’s new city hall.
The City Council on Tuesday, Feb. 25, chose two of the four options for further study. The other would add four stories to the current City Hall North, now a single floor with little architectural grace.
The council rejected building upward at City Hall South, which is across Santa Fe Street from City Hall North and has a similar design. And it declined to use vacant city-owned land at Second and Sierra streets. All four sites are downtown.
The cost and construction timeline have not been determined, City Manager Marisela Garcia said after the meeting. The funding could include fees on property developers and other sources.
The Del Rio land would have to be purchased from businessman Tony Zaia, the owner since 2016. He said in 2023 that he would like to build three stories of apartments above ground-floor shops. He could not be reached for comment about the city hall discussion.
Del Rio went from icon to eyesore
The Del Rio opened in 1947 at Third and Atchison streets, along what is state Highway 108. The theater had regular movie showings until the early 1970s. Later uses included a restaurant and bingo hall, but the building fell into disrepair.
The city purchased it in 2006 for $1.7 million with the hope of creating an arts hub. The renovation costs turned out to be much more than expected, and that plan never panned out.
The city sold the property to Zaia for just $175,000 in 2016. He paid for the June 2023 demolition, which erased the iconic marquee and all other features.
Councilman Luis Uribe said the Del Rio site is his top choice for the new City Hall. “Let’s see if we could get it back for close to what we paid for it,” he said.
The council did not take a formal vote but did agree to direct Garcia to proceed with the theater and City Hall North options. Riverbank hired Architecture Plus of Modesto to do the site search. The firm will now provide cost estimates and conceptual designs.
Riverbank leaders hope a new city hall could aid a downtown revival that has been slow compared with other locales. A plan for the district adopted in 2015 calls for multistory buildings up to the sidewalks, with parking generally to the rear and sides.
The new municipal building would provide a single location for functions now spread across City Halls North and South. They include the council chambers, city manager, finance, recreation and building permits. Garcia said these spaces are too crowded for employees and inconvenient for the public.
How do the four options pencil out?
The goal is 40,000 square feet of new office and public space. A city staff report said the four options would achieve this in various ways:
- The theater parcel is about 13,500 square feet, so a three-story building would be needed. It would have a purchase price yet to be negotiated, but no demolition cost.
- City Hall North is on an 8,125-square-foot lot. It would need four upper stories to reach the target. There would be no purchase cost, but the city would have to lease temporary offices during construction.
- City Hall South is on a 9,375-square-foot site, so three upper stories would get it close to the goal. It, too, would require temporary quarters during the project.
- The land at Second and Sierra is 10,396 square feet, which could reach the goal with a new four-story building. This option would allow the city employees to remain in their current offices during construction. A drawback: The site is outside the core of downtown.
The police and fire departments would remain at their current headquarters, both in the heart of downtown.
This story was originally published February 27, 2025 at 11:59 AM.
