The 2014 South Napa earthquake reborn downtown, but the damage remains

The 2014 South Napa earthquake left devastation throughout Napa — but it also marked the beginning of a renaissance for the previously segregated downtown.

A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck at 3:20 a.m. on August 24, shaking the ground for 20 seconds and killing one person, injuring 200 others and causing an estimated $360 million in property damage. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the economic cost to Napa County at $1 billion.

Hundreds of homes and buildings were damaged, and the damage was some of the worst to historic structures in downtown Napa, with many appearing to be on the verge of collapse.

Vin Smith, Napa's community development director, said he believes 2014 will mark the beginning of a downtown renaissance.

The 183-room Archer Hotel wasn't yet complete when the earthquake struck — it opened in 2017 — and the ground-floor retail on First Street Napa that surrounds the hotel hadn't been built.

But a decade after the quake, as Napa's dead downtown continues to evolve toward activity and tourism, some of the damage left behind is still visible.

Perhaps the most visible reminder of the quake damage is the Franklin Station Post Office building at 1351 Second St. A city-approved plan has been in place since 2018 to use the building as part of a five-story hotel, though progress has stalled amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Napa developer Jim Keller.

Napa Mayor Scott Sedgley said the approved project will retain the post office lobby facade as part of the new hotel's design — a historic reuse of the property that aims to retain its feel.

“The building will remain as majestic and grand as it is today with a new purpose, so we still hope to move forward,” Sedgley said.

The U.S. Postal Service, facing a nearly $8 million repair bill for the 1993 Art Deco structure, initially considered demolishing the building. After protests from Napa residents, officials decided to put it up for sale instead, and Keller bought it in 2017 for $2 million.

Smith said Keller has been working with the city for more than a year to do some reviews on the project, though he has not yet formally applied for permits.

Part of what needs to be included, Smith said, is an agreement to purchase Billco's Billiards and Darts parking lot. The revised project would need to get permits approved by the Napa City Council.

Across town, at First and Main streets, there is another reminder of the devastation: the vacant lot that was once home to Don Bricco and Toscani restaurants, both of which were demolished in 2015 after the buildings were severely damaged in the earthquake.

The goal was to make way for a new four-story building, eventually approved by the city in 2017, that was expected to house Bounty Hunter Rare Wine & Spirits.

But Bounty Hunter exited the project after a change of ownership in 2019. The building project has received three two-year extensions, including the latest one last September.

But Smith said the property owners are no longer pursuing the project.

Along the Napa River to the south, the 19th-century center building at Third and Brown streets, across from the Napa County Courthouse, has suffered damage that has yet to be repaired. Although the two-story office building was stabilized in 2015, it remains vacant.

Smith said the city is working with owner Brian Silver to address the condition of the building. Silver, an attorney and downtown property owner, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Sedgley said the owner had second thoughts about the property. But Sedgley said the city had not issued any permits, and there had been “no real progress” on the building.

“At some point, the city could get more involved through the legal system to try to move things along, but our goal is not to get too aggressive,” Sedgley said.

Another legacy of Napa is the loss of a downtown grocery store. There used to be a Savoy store at 1620 Clay Street, but it closed due to earthquake damage.

Smith said developers have periodically asked about the site and tried to strike deals with Hagstrom Properties, which owns the properties, to develop it. But they have all declined.

A representative for Hagstrom Properties did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Safeway still leases the property through 2027, and Sedgley said the owners are not interested in getting them out of the lease.

Smith said he and Economic Development Director Neil Harrison have tried to encourage property owners to look into potential projects, with efforts ramping up about once a year.

“I think we’re at the point now where we have to wait until 2027,” Smith said. “At that point, they’re not going to get rent payments from Safeway and they’re going to have to do something with the property.”

You can reach writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or [email protected].

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