Although Rocklin has experienced extraordinary growth in recent years, the city still lacks one component that is vitally important to a city's identity … a downtown.

Despite its charm, its history and its heritage, Rocklin has the dubious distinction of being a “city without a downtown,” according to City Manager Carlos Urrutia.

The “downtown” area is defined as the strip of Pacific Street between Midas Avenue and Farron Street, including Front Street, St. Mary’s Church and Railroad Avenue.

On the other side of Pacific Street, the development plan includes City Hall on Rocklin Road and a proposed park and amphitheater at the site of the old “Big Gun” granite quarry.

A proposed “Civic Center Drive” would connect Pacific Street to South Grove Street, enclosing the city center with Rocklin Road.

With the first phase of the project already approved by the Rocklin City Council, Urrutia said construction will begin in the next two to five years and then a steady rate for the next 10 to 15 years.

“I will be personally happy if we can have a completed downtown in 20 years,” Urrutia said. “I will have achieved my goal.”

Currently, Urrutia said, there is very little in downtown worth keeping.

“The advantage is that we don’t have to preserve anything. The disadvantage is there are a lot of small lots with different owners,” he said. “I don’t see this as a situation where the city has to come in with a strong arm. The market will create the opportunity we need.”

Despite the overall success of economic development in Rocklin, Urrutia said, there are some factors that are impeding downtown development.

“As long as we have the commercial property available along the freeway, downtown will play second fiddle,” he said.

Urrutia is optimistic, however, that implementation of the downtown plan is in the foreseeable future.

“We had very interactive participation in the downtown plan and it was obvious to me that we need a downtown,” Urrutia said. “We need a heart, it seems to be the missing piece of the puzzle.”

Urrutia went on to say that he is confident that market forces will assist the city in steering development consistent with the plan.

One local developer has already started acquiring the rights to some of the space available downtown.

“(The Zalgud Company) has been consolidating some of that land and they have a vision fairly consistent with the city’s. They think they can do it pretty fast,” Urrutia said.

Kevin Donnelley, Zalgud’s chief executive officer, commends city leaders for keeping the plan on track.

“It’s important to note that Carlos and the city have kept the dream alive. There have been many times when the vision could have been derailed,” Donnelley said. “They’ve done an important thing preserving the project.”

Donnelly agrees that development could begin relatively soon saying the difficulties in the market will likely lessen in the next 18 months or so.

“Retailers need to get excited again, banks need to start lending again,” he said.

Many of the newer commercial and retail developments have been what are known as “lifestyle centers,” Donnelly said.

“Basically they are strip malls with a pretty dress,” he said, adding that downtown should be something different than what has been built for the last 50 years.

The plan calls for mixed-use development with residential, retail and civic development combined in a cohesive city core.

“The city put together a great public process. I think there is a very high level of excitement,” Donnelly said.

The Downtown Rocklin Plan is being viewed as a center for culture and municipal identity.

Chairman for the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce, Todd Lowell, agrees that Rocklin’s overall success is in direct contrast with the need for a downtown center.

“It’s kind of like a big smile with a gap in the teeth,” he said. “The city is built out and now it’s time to look inward. Decades ago, it was a vital economic center. When the railroad moved to Roseville, downtown just died.”

The Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce moved into its new home on Rocklin Road near Pacific Street because it wanted to be in the city center, Lowell said.

“I would like to see downtown Rocklin in effect restored,” he said.