Three underutilized buildings in the heart of Tahoe City could become a regional science and community hub, after Placer County's Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a memorandum of agreement with UC Davis to study the idea. The deal covers a former fire station, the Tahoe City Community Center and the Bechdolt Building, all underutilized county-owned properties clustered in the town's walkable center near a public beach.
Under the agreement, Placer County and UC Davis will evaluate whether a project at the former fire station and the surrounding properties is actually viable, according to the Sacramento Bee. The county has put up $500,000 for technical studies and advance planning, money pulled from reserves rather than the general fund. Officials say no additional county dollars will follow unless a future deal proves financially recoverable through the length of a lease and produces measurable public value.
UC Davis, for its part, may also contribute funding toward the project, though the amount has not been determined. If the venture is ultimately deemed viable, the university has agreed to take the lead on fundraising and pursuing grants to cover construction costs. Both sides still need to conduct due diligence and gather information before deciding whether a long-term partnership actually pencils out.
A Decade-Long Search for a Fix
Placer County has been trying to find a workable use for these Tahoe City buildings for more than a decade, per the Sacramento Bee's reporting. A previous attempt to solve the puzzle fizzled: in 2022, the county struck a deal with the nonprofit Climate and Wildfire Institute to explore turning one of the spaces into a home for its environmental education mission, but that agreement expired after the project never reached an implementation phase.
This time, the partner is a familiar one. UC Davis has expressed interest in expanding its footprint in Tahoe City since 2022, and the newly approved memorandum gives that ambition a formal, if still exploratory, path forward. The county has separately noted that it bought the Bechdolt Building in 2021, one of the three properties now under study.
What UC Davis Already Runs in the Basin
UC Davis is not new to Lake Tahoe. The university currently operates two science education facilities in the region, per UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. Its main facility, the Tahoe Science Center, sits across the state line in Incline Village, Nevada, and interacts with more than 11,000 people annually, including roughly 4,000 local students, offering public tours, lecture series and training programs.
Its smaller companion, the Eriksson Education Center in Tahoe City, operates only during the summer season and features exhibits on why Lake Tahoe is unique and how restoration research protects it, according to the Eriksson Education Center. That center sits within the university's Tahoe City Field Station at 2400 Lake Forest Road, just east of town, a site surrounded by a three-acre native plant demonstration garden; the station also stores most of the research center's field equipment and vessels, per the Tahoe City Field Station.
Officials Weigh in on the Potential Partnership
County officials frame the proposed hub as a way to enhance public space, boost economic development and make science more accessible to residents and visitors alike. Supervisor Shanti Landon said the potential partnership could have positive effects throughout the community, the Sacramento Bee reported.
Cara Hollis said a long-term lease of the county properties would let UC Davis expand its regional educational offerings and increase the number of visitors and residents it can reach, according to the same report. A new education center, Hollis said, is the university's top priority for any expansion into the town.
Before any shovels move, the two sides plan to gather public input and develop cost estimates, with officials saying a formal project timeline is not yet available. UC Davis is also expected to formally sign the agreement already approved by the Board of Supervisors, a step that keeps the exploratory process moving without committing either side to construction, renovation or a signed lease.
