A Redding, California man wants to revitalize the city’s downtown by adding a food truck patio, an idea he first encountered working nicely in Oregon.
Food trucks could begin serving up gourmet eats and craft beers at Redding’s Library Park in May of 2017.
That’s when Todd Franklin, a Redding basketball coach with big plans for the small downtown park, is eyeing a soft opening for a food truck court he calls, The Park.
Library Park.
Photo courtesy City of Redding.
It would operate year-round and provide security. Drawings he presented to the Community Services Advisory Commission on February 22, 2017 show a shaded park with enough seating in the patio for 30 people.
Commissioners endorsed the concept, a necessary step before the City Council acts on a lease with Franklin.
“If you look around, this is not a safe environment. I mean the park is currently fenced off. I come up on Sundays and clean up and I’m picking up numerous needles all the time,” Franklin explained. “You can’t have kids go play, if someone steps on a needle that is life changing and we want to make this a safe secure place for people.”
Franklin would front the costs to build a 27,000-square-foot patio and install up to four propane fire pits. He estimated improvements at $40,000.
Library Park rendering by Russell Studio.