Colorful glass and metal art work at Downtown Event Center

Downtown and City Center

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Our Story

It’s rare to be able to build an entire downtown from the ground up, and even more so in a region like the Bay Area. But that is exactly what is happening in Downtown Fremont, a community on the rise.

Bordered by Mowry Avenue to the north, Walnut Avenue to the south, Paseo Padre Parkway to the east, and Fremont Boulevard to the west, Downtown is a 110-acre area that serves as a central gathering hub for the entire Fremont community as a place to live, work, and play. The Downtown Community Plan published in 2012 provides the framework for the Downtown District; and is encompassed by the broader 430-acre City Center Community Plan area.

Recognized as a Main Street America Affiliate program, Downtown Fremont benefits from its close proximity to the Fremont BART station, as well as being straddled by the Fremont Hub, Gateway Plaza, and Fremont Plaza shopping centers.

The City has made substantial investments in creating a walkable environment with pedestrian connections to the nearby BART station. With 15,000 residents and 50,000 employees within a one-mile radius and retailers like Whole Foods, Mega Mart, and Trader Joe’s within walking distance, Downtown already has all the elements of a thriving community. And the number of jobs keeps growing — we’re at over 300 to date.

Local Retailers and Small Businesses

In June 2024, the community celebrated the opening of Fremont Bank’s new 6-story headquarters and flagship retail branch. In addition, the first 11 ground-floor retail spaces on Capitol Avenue have been leased by locally-owned businesses and franchises: Aura Skin ‘N’ Beauty, Banter Bookshop, Deka Lash, Din Ding Dumpling House, Fremont Food Hall, Honest Indian Restaurant, iCode, Pints of Joy Ice Cream, Paradox Barbers, RawASF, and Sliver Pizzeria.

Beyond our retailers and small businesses, the Downtown District is also home to many of the area’s medical providers including Fremont Hospital, Kaiser Medical Center, and Washington Hospital, the latter of which Alameda County Emergency Medical Services Agency (ACEMSA) designated as the county’s fourth Level II Adult Trauma Center.

Downtown Event Center and Plaza

Anchoring the corner of Capitol Avenue and State Street—Downtown Fremont’s heart—the Downtown Event Center and Plaza celebrated its grand opening in 2021 and has served as a hub for many community gatherings, hosting over 600 events in its first three years, including our Future of Fremont event, the Fremont Engineering Expo, Battery Summit, State of the City Address, and more.

Food Trucks and people gathered at dusk

The Downtown Event Center and Plaza is well-equipped to host a variety of gatherings such as community meetings, wedding receptions, trainings, and industry events. The Downtown Event Center features an outdoor plaza that provides unique flexibility for programming community events and activities, including active games/sports, food trucks, concerts, maker fairs, markets, and more.

In keeping with Fremont’s commitment to sustainability, the Downtown Event Center is the City’s first all-electric building with zero dependence on fossil fuels. It features roof-mounted solar panels, deep roof overhangs, drought-tolerant plant landscaping, and sunshades to reduce glare and protect the building from heat gain.

Organizations, businesses, and residents who would like to rent out the Downtown Event Center for their next celebration or special event can learn more and book a tour here.

The Future of Downtown Fremont

It’s safe to say that the future is bright for Downtown Fremont, with development set to continue. That’s because Fremont is one of the only cities in the Bay Area to have a federal Opportunity Zone, meaning that it’s more attractive for investors, developers, and property owners to build here due to the federal tax incentives available for qualifying projects.

In fact, one mixed-use project, The Hub redevelopment by Kimco Realty, is already providing 11,000 square feet of new ground floor retail and amenity space, and more mixed-use projects are currently underway including six mixed-use projects, three recently completed and one more under construction.

Looking ahead, City Council also approved two development projects located within the Fremont Hub shopping center and the Gateway Plaza shopping center, providing multi-family housing, an anticipated “restaurant row,” and an extension of Capitol Avenue (Downtown Fremont’s “retail spine”).

Once complete, these projects will add approximately 1,500 new housing units and 27,000 square feet of commercial space along Capitol Avenue.

Our goal of transforming Downtown into a one-stop destination for the Fremont community to live, work, and play, continues to take shape. While there is work to be done, the momentum of these new projects demonstrates belief in the emergence of Downtown Fremont as a central gathering hub poised for further growth.