Fremont City Council received the first look at conceptual plans to remodel Capitol Avenue during a March 23 work session.

Deputy City Manager Christine Daniel called the plans the first step toward a true downtown for the city.

Five different development companies, all working together, presented a plan to extend Capitol Avenue to Fremont Boulevard.

The proposal calls for broad commercial, retail and residential development on a one-acre parcel west of State Street.

The plan to create a downtown in Fremont has been in the works since 2001, the year when the city adopted its Central Business District plan, according to Daniel.

Since that time, there have been several discussions between city staffers, city council and numerous developers regarding what should be built in order to establish Fremont's downtown.

In 2004, the city began its concept phase of the downtown project.

"Since 2004 we've been working on a project that the community will be proud of, and it will be the beginning of a true downtown," Daniel told council members. "The developers put a lot of time and energy, and our staff put a lot of time and energy, to create something that will help you visualize what the downtown will look like."

The development firms presented a three-dimensional model and scale renderings of the proposed downtown. The group also presented photographic comparisons of what they believed were successful elements of downtowns from around the Bay Area, such as San Francisco's Union Square and San Jose's Santana Row.

"We envision a vibrant, attractive and stunning downtown plaza," William Faidi of Tribeca Companies said. "It will be a place designed for retail, but it won't be a shopping center. It will be a civic and social center point of Fremont."

Faidi added the one-acre site, which he referred to as "Capitol Plaza," will not only be a place where people will shop and eat but will also be an area able to host civic events such as cultural fairs and impromptu social events.

"We believe this will be so valuable to the community," he said. "And it will be such a social gathering place that when the local high school wins its district championship, this would be the place where the city comes to celebrate."

Faidi predicted the development will spark development around Fremont Boulevard and Mowry Avenue, and create a true downtown.

Bill Smith of San Francisco-based Smith and Smith Landscape Architects said the development's structures will be built along State Street, Mowry Avenue and Fremont Boulevard.

He added Capitol Avenue will be extended into the development, all the way to Fremont Boulevard. Currently, Capitol Avenue ends at State Street.

Additionally, visitors will be able to enter the development from Mowry Boulevard.

Also, a new Capitol Avenue extension will be more pedestrian-oriented, lined with trees and wide sidewalks.

In the center of the development will be the 360-foot-long, 356-foot-wide island of Central Plaza, a place Smith explained was where people could hold fairs, concerts and farmers' markets.

The structures bordered by Mowry Avenue would house retail stores at ground level, and residential units on higher floors.

Across the street would be parking garages on the ground floor, with more residential on the higher levels.

Retail and commercial space will occupy all units fronting the Capitol Avenue extension, Smith said.

Jerry Hunt of Blake Hunt Ventures said about 15 percent of the development would be for restaurant and "quick service" food establishments.

"We like to think that when someone from Fremont has visitors from out of town and they want to show people what Fremont's all about, that they'll think of Capitol Avenue," he said.

The residential units, which Bruce Dorfman of Thompson/Dorfman said would total 672, would be pushed back, away from Capitol Avenue.

He said the size of the units might vary, from one- or two-bedroom apartments for the middle-aged or older residents, to three- or four- bedroom townhome-style units for younger residents looking to start families.

Dorfman said the two uses commercial and residential will benefit from one another being in the same development.

"This will be very attractive to retail and restaurants," he said. "It will become a place for eating, shopping, and living for the residents."

Dorfman said lobbies on the ground floors could be used as entryways for residents, complemented by gyms or conference rooms.

Council members were pleased with the plans, saying it was finally time for the city to move forward.

"This really is a catalyst," Councilman Dominic Dutra said. "To me it's really exciting. These developers have shown extremely good faith and listened to what the city has wanted. We need to move forward, and I'm excited about getting into the design phase."

Last summer, Mayor Bob Wasserman didn't agree with the amount of residential proposed for a downtown project.

Thursday night, however, the mayor said he recently visited Walnut Creek to see the downtown there. Since his visit, Wasserman said he learned that a downtown needs residential units to thrive.

"I'm very impressed with this presentation," Wasserman said. "At one point I wasn't happy with the project, but I'm convinced you have to start somewhere, and this is a fantastic start to a bigger and better downtown. I think people will come from a very long way to be a part of this."