Reimagining Franceschi House

There have been multiple unsuccessful attempts to restore Franceschi House since 1971, when the City Council approved a Master Plan that called for the demolition of the building. However, the challenges posed by the condition of the building and the fairly remote hilltop side made restoration efforts too cost-prohibitive, given the limited public access a restored building would provide.

The most recent restoration attempt began in 2001 when the City entered into a grant agreement with the Pearl Chase Society in which the organization agreed to complete design plans and raise funds for a renovation, as well as a $250,000 endowment to maintain the building. The project stalled in 2010 and was abandoned in 2015 due to a lack of funding. The Pearl Chase Society board expressed interest in partnering with the City on an alternative project in the park that would honor Dr. Franceschi and Alden Freeman.

In 2018, the City Council reviewed three options for the future of Franceschi House, including full restoration, preservation of only the building's exterior, and replacement of the house with an open-air pavilion. City Council voted unanimously to replace the building, and the Pearl Chase Society and the Riviera Association supported the decision. 

The City explored the possibility of fully restoring Franceschi House for use as an event space. This option required a change in occupancy from residential to commercial, replacement of the foundation, increased driveway turnaround to accommodate larger fire engines, and upgrades to ensure ADA compliance. Even with improvements, limitations caused by the building’s difficult-to-access location and small capacity of 30 people meant that public access would be limited, and potential revenue generated by events would not be enough to cover maintenance and operation of the building.

The deed for the Franceschi Park property restricts its use to park and recreation purposes for the benefit of residents, with any revenue generated required to go back into maintenance and improvements to the property. The deed restrictions cannot be voided by City Council or by a vote of the people. 

This project is focused on improving the site immediately surrounding Franceschi House to increase access and safety. Anticipated improvements include repairing existing walls and paths, installing an ADA parking space with path upgrades to ensure ADA access, and drainage improvements. A demonstration garden is also planned for this section of the park.

The Wildfire Resiliency Project, a collaboration between the Parks and Recreation and Fire Departments, will address vegetation management throughout other areas of Franceschi Park. This includes restoration of native habitat, removal of invasive species, and creation of a more fire-resilient landscape within the park.

The preliminary design and planning phases are expected to be an extensive, multi-year process, including ongoing public outreach and a comprehensive environmental review process. 

The preliminary design phase and environmental review are funded by $950,000 in City Capital Funds. It is anticipated that this funding will support the cost to complete project design, construction documents, historic resources assessment, environmental review documents, and additional required technical studies.

Currently, no funding is allocated for project construction. Once a design and environmental review has been finalized and approved, it will be possible to estimate cost and potential funding options.