Mayor Jeff Starsky says the city hopes to balance the need to modernize Old Folsom with preserving the neighborhood’s history.
Starsky: “We’re gonna eliminate the median, we’re gonna have some on-street parking, we’re gonna have wider sidewalks for on-street dining. It’s basically gonna be much more aesthetically pleasing when you’re down there. We’re gonna remove those old shed roofs that exist on many of the storefronts. Yet it’ll still maintain some of the look of the Old West.”
Starsky says businesses on Sutter Street have suffered from the recession and from major traffic congestion caused by the closure of Folsom Dam Road.
The $8.4 million project will be paid for with the city’s redevelopment funds.
Officials hope to have all the work done by November – in time for the next holiday shopping season. In the meantime, Starsky says, Old Folsom businesses will remain open.