A town hall to talk about the future of the Hotel Marysville site was held on Thursday as part of the city's ongoing efforts to secure a federal grant to clear the site safely.

Dozens attended to share their ideas for the future of the site that hasn't been in active use for decades. The Hotel Marysville was abandoned and sat vacant for forty years before a fire in June 2024 damaged the five-story structure still standing. The city opted to demolish what was left, as the burned-out building posed safety risks, and since then, the pile of debris, some of it toxic, has sat on the site.

Known now, as "Marysville Mountain," a ten-foot-tall pile of rubble on the roughly half-acre space is an opportunity, city leaders say, to create "something to be proud of" for the future.

Ideas ranged from multi-use retail and housing to restaurants and fast food, to additional parking near the city's downtown. A boutique hotel, apartments, and a rooftop bar or restaurant were also suggested during the community-wide brainstorm.

City councilmember Stuart Gilchrist pitched the Restoration Hardware building in New York City's Meatpacking District as an example of what's possible. The building incorporates rooftop dining, green space, and retail inside, without compromising the historic architecture on the outside.

The idea: a mixed-use space that would offer the Marysville community options, including its location with views of the Sutter Buttes and the Sierra.

This won't be the last community town hall, Marysville Mayor Chris Branscum told the room, but its a first step in looking ahead to the future.

CBS Sacramento sat down with the Marysville Community and Economic Director, Dan Flores, for more insights on the grant process. He said this is the second time the city is applying for a grant with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The first time, he said, the application was denied but no explanation was given.

Now, starting with experience in the application process, city leaders are bringing in the community as part of this new attempt-- a way to show solidarity and the need for the funding to remove debris at the site.

Flores said it's still early stages to what could go on the site, there is one piece of the decision that everyone has agreed on: "To put something back there that shows something we can be proud of."

Other ideas for the site shared on Thursday: an ice rink, a monorail, a parking structure, a youth center, a fine arts or cultural center, or a museum.