After years of planning, Downtown Fremont is going vertical! On Friday, June 17, 2016, the City of Fremont celebrated the groundbreaking of Locale @ State Street, Downtown’s first mixed-use project, which was made possible through a public/private partnership between the City of Fremont, TMG Partners, Sares Regis and SummerHill Homes.

The Locale @ State Street mixed-use project will span six acres and include 157 residential units, consisting of stacked flats and rowhomes. The community’s amenities will include outdoor spaces with barbecues, lush landscaping and seating areas for residents to gather, as well as a fitness studio and bike share program. The development will also include nearly 21,000 square feet of ground floor, street-front retail and restaurant space along Capitol Avenue.

The State Street groundbreaking ceremony was held on the new section of Capitol Avenue between Fremont Boulevard and State Street as residents and City staff alike gathered to witness history in the making. City Manager Fred Diaz kicked things off with a welcome speech, highlighting that since Fremont’s incorporation in 1956, the City has been seeking a central place to serve as its civic heart. Now, with construction on Locale @ State Street soon underway, we’re one step closer to giving Fremont residents the Downtown they’ve been waiting for.

Next, Fremont Mayor Bill Harrison and Katia Kamangar, executive vice president and managing director of SummerHill Homes, shared a few thoughts on how this project represents a giant leap forward for Fremont and its plans to build a strategically urban community. According to the Mayor, the City is envisioning a smart, sustainable Downtown, complete with electric vehicle charging stations, wide sidewalks for street side cafes, bike lanes, diagonal parking, solar-powered street lighting for outdoor events, and a whole lot more.

Ms. Kamanger noted that 20% of Summerhill’s portfolio is in Fremont, citing its strategic location and excellent schools.

After lots of cheers and applause, the celebrations continued into the evening with Fremont Street Eats, a gourmet food truck event produced by the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and Food Truck Mafia.

The State Street groundbreaking is a catalytic occasion for the City of Fremont, and a continuation in the development of a Downtown that will serve as the City’s social heartbeat – where people can live, work and shop, all in one central place.