Heritage Preservation Riverside Near Me

4worldlovers:

​Since its beginnings in 1885, Chinatown residents and local citizens have taken action to affirm and protect Riverside Chinatown as a community asset. More recently, multiple historic designations and projects related to the 1984-85 archaeological study of Riverside Chinatown have enriched the City's historical record and affirmed Riverside Chinatown as a heritage site. In the late 1980s, residents and community stakeholders were successful in obtaining a State grant to purchase the property from the RCOE to protect the site and develop a Chinatown Historical Park. Though the deal fell through in the mid-1990s, the community remained vigilant to development threats.


​​In 2008, despite community opposition, the City of Riverside approved a medical office development for the site of Riverside Chinatown. The Save Our Chinatown Committee (SOCC) was formed following the city approval of the development project. One of its first actions was to file a lawsuit to prevent the destruction of Riverside Chinatown's archaeological remains.

In 2012, a panel of judges ruled City officials failed to consider reasonable alternatives to the proposed building plans and location. SOCC was successful in obtaining a court ruling which set aside the City’s certification of the proposed development's environmental impact report (EIR), its statement of overriding considerations, and project approval.