California State Parks is requesting community feedback as part of its newly announced “Reimagine Bidwell Mansion State Historic Park” planning effort. It will “take place over the next 15 months and result in a Vision Plan for Bidwell Mansion,” a press release distributed Friday from CSP stated.

The three-story, Victorian Bidwell Mansion was targeted by arson in December 2024, destroying much of the mansion in the dead of night. The mansion, which was built in the 1860s, has stood as an important landmark in Chico. It was formerly the home of the founder of Chico, John Bidwell and his wife Annie, and later became a State Historic Park.

“The Vision Plan will integrate extensive community, tribal and stakeholder engagement with technical feasibility and existing conditions studies to identify the best path forward for the park,” the press release stated.

Chico State, along with the Mechoopda, are identified as prime stakeholders in Bidwell Mansion and have engaged with both groups since the fire, said Northern Buttes District Superintendent for CSP Matt Teague.

CSP will also seek to engage with historians at Chico State, as they are identified as subject matter experts on Bidwell Mansion, according to Teague.

This process is being aided by a new website, reimaginebidwellmansion.org, where announcements can be found and community feedback can be submitted. The website is also launching the Memory Sharing Tool, where participants can share memories and stories from the park.

The website also brings notice to participation opportunities for community engagement, with tribal engagement throughout the entire process.

CSP has not released any specific times but this is the meeting schedule that has been released:

• Fall-Winter 2025:
  • Tribal Engagement Meeting #1
  • Virtual Stakeholder Meeting #1
• Winter 2026:
  • Community Workshop #1
  • Online Public Survey
  • Local pop-ups
• Spring 2026:
  • Community Workshop #2
  • Meeting #2
• Summer 2026:
  • Publish preferred alternative vision for public feedback
  • Meeting #3
• Fall 2026
  • Publish final document after approval
  • Ongoing partnership and fundraising coordination

Kevin Carlson was sentenced to 11-years in prison and owes just under $38 million in restitution for starting the fire that burnt down much of the mansion.

There is no current estimated costs or identified funding for this rebuilding, however there are allowances for the engagement process which will hopefully spark further opportunities for funding, Teague said.

Chris Hutton can be reached at [email protected] or [email protected].