Martinez Opens Exclusive Talks to Revive Vacant 1877 Train Depot
City Council • MartinezOctober 21, 2026
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Martinez has owned the Old Train Depot at 401 Marina Vista Avenue since 2001, and the building is still vacant. On Oct. 21, 2026, the City Council unanimously approved a 12-month exclusive negotiating agreement with Foothill Partners to test whether the 1877 building can become a downtown food-and-beverage hub. The council also sent a roughly $412,000 median landscaping phase to bid, approved a Marina sculpture that depends on private fundraising, and heard staff warn of 7-foot tides this winter.
- Old Train Depot: Council voted 5-0 for a 12-month exclusive deal with Foothill Partners, backed by downtown businesses
- Median landscaping: $412,000 Phase 2 goes to bid 4-0-1, with Green Street priced as an alternate
- El Niño prep: Staff expect Marina tides above 7 feet, possible dock power shutoffs and parking closures
- Petaled Portal: Two-year Marina sculpture approved with up to $10,000 City match after private fundraising
- Commission overhaul: Ordinance introduced after Council struck an out-of-city Planning Commission seat
Why it matters: The roughly 5,200-square-foot depot has sat in City hands for 25 years. Easements and subsurface conditions limit what can be done with the site. The exclusive negotiating agreement, or ENA, gives one developer sole rights to study the project. It does not lock the City into a sale.
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