Downtown remains a vital part of the retail and office scene. Located just off Highway 99 with several interchanges, downtown offers many properties with freeway visibility. Freeway locations have attracted tenants such as Costco, Marie Callenders, the Merced Auto Center, and several fast food restaurants.

Downtown is the seat of government in the area, with the county courts, administrative buildings, and City Hall. Downtown is also the finance and banking center for Merced County, as well as the hub of culture and performing arts, with several galleries and two live performing arts theaters. Downtown also retains Merced's largest concentration of fine restaurants, and a substantial share of the professional office market.

The traditional pedestrian core of downtown has attracted over $15 million in new investment in the past five years. More is on the way:

• Mainplace Merced, a 13 screen multiplex theater development with shops and restaurants, opened April, 2001. In the first 100 days, over 100,000 customers were served and the theater grossed $1,000,000.
  
  
• The University of California at Merced (UCM) proposes to develop a Downtown Center, including about 40,000 square feet of offices and furnishing the UC headquarters until the opening of the full campus. The Center, expected to be developed in 2002, is proposed to be in the heart of downtown at the corner of Main and Canal Streets.
  
  
• The City is building a new Youth Center at 15th and M Streets in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club. The Center is currently under construction and will be completed by February 2002.
  
  
• Two historic theaters downtown are proposed for re-use as performing arts halls. The Cinema Theater is currently being worked on as a dinner house and specialty movie house, while a new local non-profit association has formed to restore the Merced Theater to its historic grandeur.
  

The Merced Redevelopment Agency is active in promoting revitalization of the area and maintains a listing of available properties and opportunities.

DOWNTOWN DEMOGRAPHICS CAPSULE 1999
jljl	1 mile	5 mile	10 mile
Population	20,881	78,561	122,462
Households	5,937	25,331	38,856
HH Median Income	23,258	33,298	33,707