Save The Centre Plaza

I have many good memories being at the Modesto Centre Plaza over the years. So when I heard that there was serious discussion about demolishing it for a soccer stadium, it triggered an already existing frustration I have with how the City of Modesto operates. While I think a professional soccer stadium could bring great value to the City of Modesto, I think destroying a building that serves the whole community is simply asinine. Below is a brief history of the Modesto Centre Plaza, followed by what I think the City of Modesto should do to have the Centre Plaza reach its full potential.

The History

Opened March 3, 1988 as a Redevelopment Agency project; connected to a co-located hotel (now the DoubleTree).
Required post-opening fixes and specialized build-outs; site had UST solvent contamination from an old dry-cleaner, remediated during construction.
City has owned and subsidized operations; over the years it weighed rate increases, management by the hotel, and renovations (est. $3.2 M in 2019) to stay competitive.
In 2025, the council picked downtown for a USL soccer stadium, which would demolish the Plaza; bookings paused after Dec 2025 pending decisions.

The Future

What I propose is that the Soccer Stadium is built elsewhere and instead of having the Modesto Centre Plaza be what it currently is, which is largely an unused resource that is mismanaged by the City of Modesto. I think it should still offer the conventions and various events as it has over the decades, but in addition to this, I think it should be open everyday of the week as a Community Civic Center. So when there is a graduation or private event, it would not be open to the public, however most of the time it would serve as a Community Civic Center. So one could think of this as expanding features and being more accessible to the community, naturally it would bring more business to downtown and make the whole downtown experience more dynamic. It will also help to strengthen civic life, and get people more organized and involved so they can works towards having the city serve their needs better. I don't think Double Tree or the City of Modesto should manage/operate this. I think it should be a nonprofit organization specifically formed for this purpose.

Specific Vision

There is a page on this website called Community Center Vision in which I present what I originally imagined for a Modesto Community Civic Center. Now, with this unexpected crises/opportunity situation with the Centre Plaza, I'm now reimagining how it would be similar and how it would be different. This is what I'm currently thinking in a simplified list to communicate this concept:

It would have every feature of the original community civic center concept. What is nice about the Centre Plaza, is it is basically already designed to be a Community Civic Center, so very little renovating would be needed. Currently, to my knowledge, there are no single use, gender neutral, family friendly restrooms, so for the greater capacity and comfort that would be added.
As a result of the housing crises and that mental health services in the nation are not what they should be, the challenges of the unhoused community need to be taken into serious consideration to make sure it is a safe space for the whole community.
The parking lot that is next to the Centre Plaza will no longer charge a fee. Modesto Junior College made the switch to a free parking service, and it has increased enrollment, and it has made it safer for students. Paying for parking is like an unnecessary tax, when our taxes already paid for the Modesto Centre Plaza.
At its entrance, the Modesto Centre Plaza features a large decorative fountain with a cascading waterfall and a half-circle reflecting pool. You may have noticed that it often doesn't have water in it. This would be operational year round or as frequently as possible, with an upgrade of colorful lighting effects for the evening.
All the current staff would continue to do their jobs, as opposed to demolishing their place of work, we will need more support, which will create more full-time opportunities.
Modesto hosts a number of outdoor events for small businesses. They are usually in parking lots, weather permitting, it isn't ideal with setting up tents, and gusts of wind that can create an unsafe situation, naturally being in a parking lot with cars is also not the safest place. With all that said, I think it would be cool to have regular events where small businesses can sell their products to the community at very affordable rates in the comfort of an indoor environment that can have more potential customers.

This sticker, which you may see in downtown Modesto or at Roseburg Square, is a small homage to Back to the Future, specifically the “Save the Clock Tower” moment. In the film, the clock tower isn’t just an old building; it symbolizes the town’s identity, its history, and the belief that a community can choose a better future if its people care enough to fight for it.

That story shows us two versions of Hill Valley. In the good timeline, the town thrives because people protect what matters. In the dark alternate 1985, Biff’s greed and short-sighted decisions reshape Hill Valley into something unrecognizable, where the community loses its voice, its character, and its pride.

To me, saving the Modesto Centre Plaza is our “Save the Clock Tower” moment. We can choose the timeline where the Centre Plaza is restored and transformed into a vibrant public space that serves everyone in our community: clubs, families, seniors, students, artists, and local events. Or we can choose the other path: tearing it down for a stadium the community never asked for, leaving us with something built for private interests instead of public life.

Back to the Future reminds us that the future isn’t an accident. It’s something we create by standing up, speaking out, and refusing to let a few short-sighted decisions rewrite our entire timeline. Modesto still has a chance to choose the better version of its own story.