Nowhere to go in RoPo

STAR // Zachary Gonzales

What is there to do in Rohnert Park Calif.? This is a common question that is asked when non-locals visit the area and quite frankly there isn’t much. It is always a bit embarrassing to reply back with the same few things that constantly include Scandia or the local movie theater. A reason why Rohnert Park is so low on things to do is due to the lack of a true “downtown” area in the city. The city of Rohnert Park is beautiful but the absence of a downtown is leaving residents with a desire for more and is hurting the city’s overall popularity and growth. In recent news though, there does seem to be a glimmer of hope down a long tunnel as the city bought a 30-acre lot last year with the plans of it eventually becoming the long-awaited downtown. 

The city bought the lot last April off State Farm Drive for 12.5 million according to a Press Democrat article by Paulina Pineda. “In April 2022, the city purchased its future downtown site at the corner of Rohnert Park Expressway and State Farm Drive. Since then, the city has met with developers and planning experts to explore what is feasible for a new downtown,” reads the official website for the city of Rohnert Park. 

The STAR reached out to students on their thoughts on the new potential downtown and this is what they had to say. “I would like an arcade or a common area for everyone to have fun. I think it would be a good place to meet people while having a good time. A new social area would give students more opportunities to connect and create new memories,” said fourth-year Hutchins major, Darius Robinson.  

A new downtown in Rohnert Park would do the city wonders and help attract more people to come visit. The area might even help Sonoma State’s enrollment as an influx of more people would create more hype around the area and could ultimately lead to more students visiting the school. 

Robinson had this to say when he was asked if he thought the new downtown area would help the city grow. “It would make Rohnert Park more popular and it will hit off really well with college students. It could maybe even help with enrollment and make the city more exciting. The downtown would also make it more convenient for students that don’t own a car and can’t go very far to go do fun things.”

With all things considered, the question now becomes, how long will it take to build the downtown area? According to the Press Democrat article, the city could start building in 2025 after some foundation work, and the first parts of the project could be completed by 2027. 

This timeline is hard to believe though, we asked Robinson about his thoughts on the likelihood of the first parts of the area being built by 2027. “Personally, the one thing that is discouraging is the slow construction time. I don’t believe that the first part of the downtown area will be ready by 2027. I feel like the longer it takes to build the downtown the more it will hurt the city’s popularity.”

The city of Rohnert Park deserves a downtown revitalization and this positive update is just the start of what is yet to come. As thrilled as we are by the news of the direction that the city is taking we just hope it happens sooner rather than later.