A historic village in Selma could be getting a $8.9M makeover

SELMA, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Selma’s historic Pioneer Village could be getting a $8.9 million makeover soon if the city council considers adopting a master plan to revamp the area.

According to Museum USA , a website that provides smaller museums with the opportunity to increase their visibility and reach, the Pioneer Village features 15 acres of historical buildings from the 1880s.

The agenda says the village has been “an operating historic building museum since 1980” and features 15 acres of historic buildings that date to the early history of Selma and the surrounding San Joaquin Valley.

A city council agenda for Monday, Aug. 19, lists the subject for the consideration of the Pioneer Village Master Plan and it discusses how in August of 2023 officials, staff and many others met to tour the village and began discussing the master plan.

The agenda states that the development of the master plan would allow for the city staff to plan for future capital improvement projects as well as pursue grant opportunities to enhance the facility through various funding services.

The plan would provide new parking spaces north and east of Cattleman’s Restaurant. The plan will also include new parking spaces in front of the Danish building and electric vehicle charging spaces.

According to the agenda, the opera house in Pioneer Village, which according to Museum USA was originally the Unger Opera House, will be demolished and replaced with a replica banquet hall that would be approximately 4,800 square feet.

The agenda states that the barn in the village and the Edge Comb building are proposed to be demolished due to the determination and unsafe nature of these structures.

It is also proposed to add a 50-foot radius turnaround has been added at the end of Art Gonzales Parkway to promote better motorist circulation at the entrance of the park.

The agenda states that the existing structures that are not proposed to be demolished or relocated will likely require some upgrades and improvements for consistency with applicable building and accessibility requirements.

Phase one of the project, according to the agenda, covers parking improvements. Phase two covers the Banquet Hall and entrance improvements. Phase three would cover the Amphithether and History walk. Phase four would be updates to the historical buildings.

The engineer’s opinion of the cost of the project for all phases would be $8,999,700. This number is based on the concept site plan presented to the council on Feb. 20.

The full plan can be found below.

The city council will have a regular meeting on Aug. 19 to discuss the master plan and to vote on whether it will be adopted. If approved, they will meet again on Aug. 26 to consider the final master plan for the project which will identify the future buildout in phases and estimated costs.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47.