The City of Marysville has reached a settlement after a fire destroyed the historic Hotel Marysville, affecting local traffic and businesses. As part of the settlement, the city will gain ownership of the property and receive $700,000 from the hotel's owners.
According to KCRA, Council Member Dom Belza stated, "We're on record today as being the new owners. So that's going to open up a lot of doors for us as far as finances and resources." This acquisition allows the city to apply for federal grants aimed at the hotel's demolition. The settlement funds will initially address the reopening of Highway 70.
Maria Salazar, owner of Bellisima Salon, expressed her relief in a statement obtained by KCRA: "My business is in the closure zone, so we haven't had a lot of traffic. So I'm excited. I'm excited about the opening, it's been a lot of months dealing with this." She also indicated that her revenue had plummeted by up to 50% since the fire.
City Manager Jim Schaad outlined the scope of the work in an abc10 report: "Our immediate plans involve re-opening the state highway as the first step in a two-step process for total remediation and future development. Details on the specifics of those plans will follow in the immediate future. Again, the first step involves enough work to restore normal traffic patterns. The composition of the full plan will depend on real time further evaluation of financial risk and costs." In corroborating updates, Yuba County officials have disclosed that construction will commence in December, with expectations to complete by mid-to-late January.
Mayor Chris Branscum emphasized the city's long-term goals, noting that once the property is cleared and ready for development, the city will be in a strong position to guide projects that benefit the community. The Yuba County Board of Supervisors has supported this by allocating $250,000 for the demolition of the hotel's top floor, with the estimated cost for this phase ranging from $700,000 to $840,000.
