Eye-opening ideas for Redding's riverfront property -- including a multi-use event center to replace the Civic Auditorium and rodeo arena -- surfaced Tuesday as consultants and city staffers reported on the ongoing Riverfront Specific Plan update.

Another noteworthy design concept includes remaking Highway 44 into a "boulevard street" with improved bicycle and pedestrian access and a second road into the Civic Auditorium grounds. That second entrance/intersection could support mixed-use buildings across from the river.

It's important to note, all parties emphasized, that these are ideas only and were developed over the past 18 months after numerous workshops, surveys, open houses and community meetings. A final draft of the plan won't be before the Planning Commission and ultimately the City Council until late fall of 2025. The draft plan and accompanying environmental impact report will be available for public review and comment prior to adoption.

"We've got a long way to go," said Daniel Iacofano, the CEO and president of MIG, the consulting firm coordinating the plan update. "This is not a concrete plan; nothing is final."

The Riverfront Specific Plan, last updated in 1990, will direct both development and conservation on 380 acres of riverfront property stretching along the Sacramento River from the rodeo arena to the Cypress Avenue bridge.

Seven "vision and guiding principles" have been identified as key to a successful Riverfront Specific Plan: a healthy and resilient natural environment; respecting the past, present and future of the indigenous community; environmentally sensitive and economically viable arts, cultural and entertainment venues; appropriate scale and uses; world-class recreation and activities; connected spaces; and memorable and vibrant places.

Dan Amsden, MIG's project manager, used a PowerPoint presentation to explain how the "emerging concepts" in the plan relate to those seven guiding principles.

In the northern part of the plan area, those concepts include habitat restoration work in cooperation with Wintu tribal members, environmental scientists, biologists and federal and state agencies; an interconnected network of low-impact trails, bridges, walkways and viewing platforms along the river; and the creation of a dedicated indigenous culture space to be used by Wintu people for prayer, engagement, education, storytelling and other activities.

Another concept calls for the creation of a "Riverfront Consortium," composed of representatives from the city, Redding Rodeo Association, Civic Auditorium, Turtle Bay, the Sheraton, a Wintu tribal liaison and other stakeholders to "manage all planning and operations within the Northern Riverfront."

Both near-term and long-term options were proposed for the Civic Auditorium and rodeo arena, ranging from modifications to both existing structures to a shared space, all-in-one event center with an optional retractable roof.

For the southern Riverfront area, where much of the property is privately held, the plan calls for encouraging "water-oriented" development that strengthens the relationship with Kutras Lake and the river as well as "new clusters of commercial (retail and office) or community-oriented uses fronting the lakes that benefit the local economy and support the integration of the riverfront into the existing public realm of the City."

Drawing considerable interest were the proposed changes to Highway 44. Councilmember Erin Resner asked the consultants "to show us the reality of the situation" instead of a scenario "that looks more like a pipe dream."

Wresting control of the highway from Caltrans and adding an intersection is simply unrealistic, considering the city's current $5 million budget shortfall, Resner said.

Councilmember Paul Dhanuka expressed concern about reducing the traffic flow on the city's only east-west highway connector, noting both of Redding's principal hospitals are west of the river. He worried the "Highway 44 pipe dream would become a nightmare."

City Manager Barry Tippin agreed the Highway 44 redesign "is a wild idea" but said the focus should be on the need for a second access to the Northern Riverfront area. (Those who attended the 77th annual Redding Rodeo last week would surely agree.) Tippin also noted Cypress Avenue actually has more traffic than Highway 44. "It's maybe wild but it could be really cool in 30 years."

Councilmember Tenessa Audette said she was concerned with the idea of any residential use in the Northern Riverfront area and affordable housing in particular, noting the mixed-use development areas penciled in southeast of the current Civic Auditorium. Reaction against such uses has been "overwhelming" at workshops, she said.

The Riverfront Specific Plan update is in response to a 2021 offer by a McConnell Foundation-led group to master plan and ultimately purchase the 45 acres that is home to the rodeo arena and the Civic Auditorium. The other organizations involved in the offer were Turtle Bay Exploration Park, K2 Development Co. and Populous Inc., a global design firm that was represented by Redding native Michael Lockwood.

In 2022, the City Council rejected the controversial offer and voted instead to award a $1.23 million contract to MIG to draft the update. Funding for the work will come from the $17.6 million the city is slated to receive through the federal American Recovery Plan Act.

To learn more, visit www.reddingriverfront.org

In other action Tuesday, the council voted 5-0 to not include a tree-planting program, and an accompanying impact fee requirement on developers, in the in-progress updating of the city's tree ordinance.

The tree ordinance is being updated by the Redding Planning Commission with advice from a 15-member tree committee.