Marysville's Chinatown receives $500,000 grant to blueprint revitalization plan
MARYSVILLE — The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is awarding nearly $4 million total to 11 projects in historically disadvantaged communities across the region as part of their engage, empower and implement grant program.
One of those projects will be in the Yuba County city of Marysville.
Marysville's Chinatown sits rather empty, a stark difference from the once-thriving Chinese population the area saw during the 19th and 20th centuries — but a revitalization plan is on the way.
"This was, at one time, one of the largest Chinese communities in California, and it's disappearing," said Jon Lim, president of the Marysville Chinese Community.
The Marysville Chinese Community is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Chinese legacy throughout the Yuba-Sutter area. Partnering with the City of Marysville, the organization will receive a $500,000 grant from SACOG to invigorate Chinatown.
"Sometimes, it feels like the Chinese history is kind of pushed aside, and we're kind of the forgotten area of town, so it's nice to see a little bit of a spotlight on it," said Joseph Ferrie, owner of the Silver Dollar Saloon in Marysville's Chinatown.
Ferrie has been in the area for twenty years. He's been part of some of the meetings where they spitball ideas for the blueprint of this project.
"My main thing I'd like to see is this park behind us that is absolutely underutilized right now — it's a beautiful spot right next to the Bok Kai temple," he said. "There could be lanterns on the road going through in place of some of the light posts we have here, adding a historical element to it so people know they're in Chinatown."
Lim said his organization is doing plenty of public outreach related to the project.
"I've already done meetings with landowners, the Chinese community, families that have been here for a while, what's left of us, just to get a general idea of what Chinatown would be," he said.
Lim noted that it's important to him to make the Chinese community's voice heard. The bulk of his outreach for a plan will happen during the Bok Kai celebration the first weekend in March.
"They want to preserve that culture and the history, and the museum, they want to preserve that as well," said Vincenzo Corazza, Marysville's public works director. "They want Bok Kai to keep coming every year. That's very important. It's part of our history. Ugly or good, we need to preserve that and continue on."
SACOG said in a statement to CBS13: "The Marysville Chinatown blueprint project is an incredible example of what cities and community-based organizations can accomplish together to restore historically disinvested neighborhoods."
The Marysville Chinese Community aims to have a plan finalized for the city council toward the end of 2026.