The city of Martinez is moving closer to possibly revitalizing its historic Old Train Depot site after announcing a request for development proposals on Wednesday.
The Old Train Depot on Marina Vista Avenue was originally built in 1877 and retains its 19th-century charm through its Old West facade, even though the building has gone through multiple renovations over the years.
It was first conceived as a stop for the newly built Southern Pacific Railroad and became a catch-all terminal for freight and military traffic before becoming an Amtrak station in 1982. By 2001, the property was abandoned for a shiny new Amtrak station built two blocks away. It has sat vacant ever since.
People come to Martinez for its historical charm, with a scenic marina and quaint downtown. Now the city hopes to capitalize on that draw by turning the depot — which sits smack dab between the water and the main drag — into a spot for food and retail, plus “cultural and/or activated” uses, according to the city.
The official Request for Qualifications and Conceptual Proposals for developers went out on March 9 with a final deadline of April 26.
Martinez has been operating on a structural deficit and with what it describes as “stagnant revenues.” For fiscal year 2025-26, the City Council adopted a balanced budget that it called “fiscally responsible,” but it wants to increase tourism, according to the city.
“The City of Martinez is faced with struggles like many other California cities, such as revenue loss, rising costs for services, and closure of one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds,” said the city on its website last June. “The City also must contend with rising costs driven by higher insurance premiums, labor expenses with a growing workforce, facility maintenance costs, and persistent losses at the marina.”
The marina may actually get a huge makeover as the city leans into its strengths as a tourist draw. In December, the council gave its final approval to begin exclusive negotiations with Tucker Sadler Architects to completely overhaul the area with a dog park, plazas, hotels, restaurants, an event center and even an outdoor amphitheater.
If the project gets greenlit, the cost of the development would fall on Tucker Sadler, with no city subsidy and no financial risk to Martinez taxpayers, the city said.
Though not explicitly saying the Old Train Depot would require the same deal, the city said it is seeking a developer that has the “appropriate expertise, financing, approach and vision to successfully bring the property back to active use.”