Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III

[ozone]

When we get discouraged we should remember that we've still come a long way baby. :)
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/548/sac00009mg3.jpg
Capitol Mall in the 1950's

[ozone]

^^ Why would the city even allow them to waste space like that? Especially at 16th and L?


I don't understand what you expect the city to do exactly? They are turning an abandoned tire store into a lively mixed-use space with a rooftop club so how is this a bad thing? It will bring life to a dead space and help to create the 16th Street corridor we all want. As for closing the corner up. Yes I too think its a shame to enclose it but I'm sure they thought about it and decided that keeping it open wouldn't provide the amount of floor space available to be rented in order to make the project worth it. I suspect they'll leave the space open on inside so it'll still be a dramatic space.

[Phillip]

That's a neat picture, ozone. Do I spot an Edsel? Capitol Mall looks like a rough and tumble place there, nothing like the corridor of sedate office buildings we've got now. If you add a grassy median strip a lot of West Capitol in West Sac still looks like that today.

When we get discouraged we should remember that we've still come a long way baby. :)
http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/548/sac00009mg3.jpg
Capitol Mall in the 1950's

[Phillip]

I don't understand what you expect the city to do exactly? They are turning an abandoned tire store into a lively mixed-use space with a rooftop club so how is this a bad thing? It will bring life to a dead space and help to create the 16th Street corridor we all want. As for closing the corner up. Yes I too think its a shame to enclose it but I'm sure they thought about it and decided that keeping it open wouldn't provide the amount of floor space available to be rented in order to make the project worth it. I suspect they'll leave the space open on inside so it'll still be a dramatic space.

If this lot had been a surface parking lot I don't think people would be upset about the enclosed design. But the remodel erases the building's most distinctive design feature---the cutout notch that defined the space as a deco era service station.

Maybe that notch area just wasn't going to work as outdoor seating. Could be sort of a smog trap under the broad roof, with heavy traffic going by in both directions. Expensive to heat/cool enough to use as outdoor seating year round. And noisy. I'm trying to picture sort of a "mini-notch" right at the corner for at least a little outdoor seating and that seems awkward looking and still wouldn't preserve the old service station feel either.

Hate to see the old gas station look go, but an empty building at that key intersection doesn't help Downtown or anyone.

[aufbau]

Thanks for that neat picture Ozone. I take it that was capital mall before the 5 cut through downtown. I'm imagining the 5 runs through the location where those service stations sit in the foreground of that picture.

That picture reminds me that this city's 20th century urban planning disasters didn't begin with the interstate highway system. I wonder what kind of old buildings were torn down to make way for those gas stations.

[urban_encounter]

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/1975/firestoneam7.jpg
Very disappointing to say the least. A considerably sized down project with hardly any open air seating. They should start over before it's too late.


I suspect that the rendering isn't doing justice to what your likely to see when they're done.

I'm fairly certain that with Ron Vrilakas being the archtiect, you'll see a building that opens to the sidewalk (as Sugit noted) creating yet another vibrant corner DT.....

It will be nice to have yet another Sacramento building given new a new lease on life, along with more dining and pub options for DT.

[Cynikal]

I don't mind the building and I understand why they closed in the drive bay, but I don't understand why it's only 3 floors and the cantilevered office. This should be at least 6 floors and the cantilevered office looks like an engineering school student submission.

[ozone]

Press Release from the DSP:
Harvego Enterprises to break ground on historic Orleans Hotel in Old Sacramento.
05/09/2007
http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/9576/orleanshotelalonetopviemn2.gif

Councilmember Ray Tretheway will join developer Lloyd Harvego and Terry Harvego to break ground on the historic Orleans Hotel in Old Sacramento. The Redevelopment Agency of the City of Sacramento provided $6 million worth of loans for the project. Once complete, the vacant parcel will be transformed into an exciting mixed-use project including underground parking, 7,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 2,000 square feet of outdoor patio space, and 24 rental residential units.

The building will reconstruct the historic façade of the 1853 Orleans Hotel and will include cast iron columns, balconies and period elements. Construction is expected to take thirteen months and be completed by the beginning of summer 2008.

“The Orleans Hotel is a great investment that combines historic charm with modern amenities,” said Councilmember Ray Tretheway. “We are looking forward to both the new residents and great shopping and dining that people from thought the region will enjoy.”

[wburg]

Hello! I suppose this is my delurk message...I was referred here via a friend's weblog, and encouraged by "towerdistrict" to take another look when I didn't have a very positive first impression. After taking another look around, I figure it can't hurt to say "hi," and apparently some of the things I have posted on my weblog (at http://sacramentohistory.blogspot.com) have already been discussed here.

Briefly, I am interested in local history (I write quite a bit on that subject) and transit (specifically streetcars, but also railroads in general.) I am active in the local history/historic preservation community, as well as some local neighborhood associations. I'm also interested in topics like low-income housing and Sacramento's musical/cultural/arts scenes.

I was a bit hesitant to post here because I'm not a really big fan of skyscrapers, but I am a big fan of the return of Sacramento's urban core. Despite Sacramento's long-standing (and, in my opinion, undeserved) reputation, downtown Sacramento used to be a lot more lively, energetic and "24 hour" than it has been over the past few decades, although there was and is a rich underground culture here that refused to die. In many ways its decline was due to poor choices in land use planning, transportation and urban renewal. And while I think there is a need for new buildings, preservation of Sacramento's remaining urban fabric of historic buildings is critical to our long-term success as a city. I also think that preservation certainly doesn't rule out new development, profitability, or ecological soundness--it can complement and enhance them all.

Just on this page, I notice that there is a rendering of an adaptive-reuse project, a reconstruction of a historic building, and a historic photo, although one that I believe to be slightly out of context, so it seems like there might be some shared interests with the folks already here.

Maybe I'll finish with a list of some of what I've read recently that might be of interest to city-planning types: A Guide to California Planning by William Fulton, Crabgrass Frontier by Kenneth Jackson, Downtown by Robert Fogelson, America Becomes Urban by Eric Monkkonen, and of course the classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs.

[ozone]

welcome wburg

[travis bickle]

Hello! I suppose this is my delurk message...I was referred here via a friend's weblog, and encouraged by "towerdistrict" to take another look when I didn't have a very positive first impression. After taking another look around, I figure it can't hurt to say "hi," and apparently some of the things I have posted on my weblog (at http://sacramentohistory.blogspot.com) have already been discussed here.

Briefly, I am interested in local history (I write quite a bit on that subject) and transit (specifically streetcars, but also railroads in general.) I am active in the local history/historic preservation community, as well as some local neighborhood associations. I'm also interested in topics like low-income housing and Sacramento's musical/cultural/arts scenes.

I was a bit hesitant to post here because I'm not a really big fan of skyscrapers, but I am a big fan of the return of Sacramento's urban core. Despite Sacramento's long-standing (and, in my opinion, undeserved) reputation, downtown Sacramento used to be a lot more lively, energetic and "24 hour" than it has been over the past few decades, although there was and is a rich underground culture here that refused to die. In many ways its decline was due to poor choices in land use planning, transportation and urban renewal. And while I think there is a need for new buildings, preservation of Sacramento's remaining urban fabric of historic buildings is critical to our long-term success as a city. I also think that preservation certainly doesn't rule out new development, profitability, or ecological soundness--it can complement and enhance them all.

Just on this page, I notice that there is a rendering of an adaptive-reuse project, a reconstruction of a historic building, and a historic photo, although one that I believe to be slightly out of context, so it seems like there might be some shared interests with the folks already here.

Maybe I'll finish with a list of some of what I've read recently that might be of interest to city-planning types: A Guide to California Planning by William Fulton, Crabgrass Frontier by Kenneth Jackson, Downtown by Robert Fogelson, America Becomes Urban by Eric Monkkonen, and of course the classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Jane Jacobs.

Welcome. While I am also a fan of historic preservation, Sacramento's urban core will never return without skyscrapers.

[TowerDistrict]

Welcome. While I am also a fan of historic preservation, Sacramento's urban core will never return without skyscrapers.

hahaha, how's that for a welcome!

god I couldn't disagree more... in fact skyscrapers are probably more a byproduct of a desireable downtown, than the other way around.

[wburg]

Indeed--skyscrapers are a product of economic necessity. They get built because land is in so short supply that the only place to go is up--or transportation or geography limits a city's ability to economically go out. Plus, someone with big bags of money has to want to build it.

We used to have more of what were, in their day, considered "skyscrapers," like the Bank of Italy/Bank of America tower, and some of the grander hotels like the Hotel Land, but we got rid of those, along with a lot of other things that, in retrospect, we really should have kept. It's kind of like realizing that if you had kept many of the childhood toys that got discarded, they'd sell for a mint on the collector market now.

[travis bickle]

hahaha, how's that for a welcome!

god I couldn't disagree more... in fact skyscrapers are probably more a byproduct of a desireable downtown, than the other way around.

I think that's a completely legitimate argument. That's why it's so cool to have a forum through which we can all discuss it.

[travis bickle]

Indeed--skyscrapers are a product of economic necessity. They get built because land is in so short supply that the only place to go is up--or transportation or geography limits a city's ability to economically go out. Plus, someone with big bags of money has to want to build it.

We used to have more of what were, in their day, considered "skyscrapers," like the Bank of Italy/Bank of America tower, and some of the grander hotels like the Hotel Land, but we got rid of those, along with a lot of other things that, in retrospect, we really should have kept. It's kind of like realizing that if you had kept many of the childhood toys that got discarded, they'd sell for a mint on the collector market now.

All good points. What makes San Diego's Gaslamp district so unique and attractive isn't the faux gas lamps. It's the preserved and restored period buildings.

As always, we need to find the right balance. And balance, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

[innov8]

I still can't beleive it. The CalSTRS steel erection is now above the tree line, I don't
even think it has been two weeks since they started. It could be taller than
the Ziggurat by the end of June?

[Cynikal]

Indeed--skyscrapers are a product of economic necessity. They get built because land is in so short supply that the only place to go is up--or transportation or geography limits a city's ability to economically go out. Plus, someone with big bags of money has to want to build it.

We used to have more of what were, in their day, considered "skyscrapers," like the Bank of Italy/Bank of America tower, and some of the grander hotels like the Hotel Land, but we got rid of those, along with a lot of other things that, in retrospect, we really should have kept. It's kind of like realizing that if you had kept many of the childhood toys that got discarded, they'd sell for a mint on the collector market now.


Wberg, I've read your street car book. Nice work. :tup: I'm still torn if they are good idea in their new proposal but time will tell.

I'm also a huge fan of the history of Sacramento. My family has lived in Sac for 7 generations. So far I'm impressed with the discourse here and the level of knowledge. Glad to see so many people really care about quality development in this town.

[ltsmotorsport]

I still can't beleive it. The CalSTRS steel erection is now above the tree line, I don't
even think it has been two weeks since they started. It could be taller than
the Ziggurat by the end of June?

Ooooh. Can't wait to see it tomorrow.

[creamcityleo79]

from the Bee:
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/05/31/17/21-SED_G0601_5BABIN0601c.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG

[urban_encounter]

from the Bee:
http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/05/31/17/21-SED_G0601_5BABIN0601c.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG


:haha:


You have to admit, this was funny. At least i got a chuckle at the expense of the "Carole Migden Driving School" and "another fine Mo Mohanna property swap".


btw neuhickman, how are you able to post bee photos (and/or cartoons)??

Everytime I attempt to post a photo or rendering from the Bee it says embedded and nothing shows up?

[ozone]

Condo market warms up with little competition
Owner to begin marketing this month
Sacramento Business Journal - June 1, 2007, Mark Anderson

http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/3374/851113000dx5.jpg

The first new mid-rise condominiums in downtown Sacramento go on sale this month, testing the local market for condo hotels. It's likely to be a short test. There are only 30 condos, and half of them already have been reserved for buyers. The Penthouses at Capitol Park occupies the 13th, 14th and 15th floors of the new Residence Inn at 15th and L streets.

Construction is almost done on the hotel, expected to open early this month, and the first condos should be delivered in July, said Georgina Valencia, the broker representing the seller.

Investor Warren Lortie of Newport Beach bought the condos as part of the complicated financing deal for the hotel. Lortie -- who built Warren Lortie Associates Inc. and then retired -- wouldn't say what he paid, but he did disclose what he's asking: Units start in the $500,000s, while the largest condo with the best view is priced around $900,000.

"I think it could have been tough to sell them with all the other competition that was supposed to be opening in downtown Sacramento, but with the other projects not happening, it should be easier," he said. "I don't give the other projects much of a chance of resurrection anytime soon."

When the Residence Inn was proposed back in 2004, it was one of at least three downtown projects that combined a hotel with condos. One project, at 12th and J streets, never materialized. The Towers project on Capitol Mall at 3rd Street was to have a 250-room InterContinental Hotel along with 760 condos, but escalating costs and financing woes forced a construction halt in January.

The Residence Inn was supposed to be completed late last year, which would have been better market timing, Lortie said. "It's no secret that it has gotten tougher to sell real estate now," he said. "Lenders are getting tougher, and people are wary of the whole housing market."

Still, Lortie said he's not concerned about finding buyers given the location. "It is right in the middle of the hubbub," he said. "It's kind of a New York thing to have a flat on the top of a hotel. You feel like you are in New York. :haha: It is a great urban view."

There are 10 different plans, with the condos overlooking Capitol Park commanding top prices. All the condos, which range from 750 to 1,350 square feet, have 12-foot-high windows from floor to ceiling. Parking is in a garage next door. The one- and two-bedroom condos have a separate entrance and elevator from the hotel, but residents would be able to order room service and use other hotel amenities.

The 30 condos have generated more than 200 inquiries, and Valencia said she's shown the spaces a handful of times. She's discouraging people from taking a tour until the construction is completed. "As soon as we get some of them done, we will start showing what we are offering," she said. Of the 15 units that have been reserved, all of them would be at least a second home for the buyers.

"In general, it's a tough time for condos, but the buyer pool those kinds of condos appeal to is not affected by the subprime fallout or the difficulty in getting financing. This is not a first-time buyer product," said Bruce Slaton, a real estate agent and president of SacramentoCondos.com. "After all the hoopla about (developer John) Saca's Towers project and the Aura Condos, there are people who want to live downtown."

^Even if the Towers and Aura Condos do not get built as planned..maybe their greatest legacy will be that they got people to finally take downtown Sacramento serious as a place to live? Also their possible demise "might" be a blessing in disguise in that they will move buyers who want to live downtown into some of the other smaller projects already uc/built. The goal right now is building synergy downtown in any form. Skyscraper condos will come to Sacramento but as they say-Rome was not built in a day.

[foxmtbr]

how are you able to post bee photos (and/or cartoons)??

Everytime I attempt to post a photo or rendering from the Bee it says embedded and nothing shows up?

For embedded photos like that, I always just use the Print Screen button, paste it in Paint and crop it, then host it online.

[SacTownAndy]

I've never had a problem direct-linking photos here from the Bee. You just have to make sure you get the whole URL.

[Sacdelicious]

FYI: Channel 14 is replaying the 5/29/07 Downtown Housign Strategy debate for the Sac City Council, now. Tune in.

[sugit]

There was article in Sactown Mag this month about that the Crocker finally breakin ground on the expansion July 26. Here is a nice rendering from the Mag

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/9682/img2869vc9.jpg

While I would have liked to have seen something a little more daring, I think it's still a nice looking addition. Clean and straight forward.

[Trojan]

Looks like similar architecture to the Getty Museum in LA. I like it, it adds a twist to the old-traditional type of architecture in downtown.

[TowerDistrict]

i feel like i want to like it... but i don't think i do :???:

i thought the models actually looked more interesting. it looks a bit tame in that rendering.

[Schmoe]

Why haven't I gotten my June/July mag yet? :(

[arod74]

i feel like i want to like it... but i don't think i do :???:

i thought the models actually looked more interesting. it looks a bit tame in that rendering.

I think alot will depend on the characterstics of the materials they use for the skin. Im not crazy about it, the entrance doesn't do a whole lot. I like the roof line though it has a heavy industrial factory flavor to it..

[urban_encounter]

There was article in Sactown Mag this month about that the Crocker finally breakin ground on the expansion July 26. Here is a nice rendering from the Mag

http://img399.imageshack.us/img399/9682/img2869vc9.jpg

While I would have liked to have seen something a little more daring, I think it's still a nice looking addition. Clean and straight forward.


Fairly impressive...

At least it looks like a museum...

It's unfortunate that they scrapped the tower though..


On a side note i would love to see Sacramento build a museum of industry (similar to Chicago's museum of Science and Industry)..

It could include Rail Road displays, exhibits pertaining to the Pony Express, Gold Rush and Air Force history in Sacramento to name a few. And it could also serve as a place for touring shows (like the Da Vinci experience or Body Works...)

[creamcityleo79]

:haha:


You have to admit, this was funny. At least i got a chuckle at the expense of the "Carole Migden Driving School" and "another fine Mo Mohanna property swap".


btw neuhickman, how are you able to post bee photos (and/or cartoons)??

Everytime I attempt to post a photo or rendering from the Bee it says embedded and nothing shows up?
Do you use Mozilla or IE? I notice that I'm not able to copy some pics in IE that I'm able to copy in Mozilla (emporis, for example)

[creamcityleo79]

Great news(IMHO):Planners OK theater project
New retail center would replace old drive-in near Hwy. 50 and Bradshaw.
By Stan Oklobdzija - Bee Staff Writer

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, May 31, 2007
Story appeared in CITRUS HEIGHTS ORANGEVALE section, Page H1

A major commercial center set to replace the Sacramento 6 Drive-in movie theater has received approval from the Sacramento County Planning Commission.

The 438,700-square-foot development, to include a 16-screen movie theater as well as other major commercial outlets, was approved 4-0 on May 22.

Commission members William Miller, Candice Fields, Bruce Kaspari and Ryan Chin cast the yes votes, according to minutes. Commission member Kathilynn Carpenter was absent.

The project, north of Highway 50 and west of Bradshaw Road, will now head to the county Board of Supervisors for final approval.

This project has been long coming," said Bill Vierra, president and chief operating officer of SyWest Development, a subsidiary of conglomerate Syufy Enterprises of San Rafael, which will develop the project.

The project was proposed in 1998, Vierra said, but a design change caused a delay.

"The plan has evolved," he said. "Three years of intense redesign got us to the point where everyone likes the project."

Gay Jones, chairwoman of the Butterfield-Riviera East Community Association, which borders the proposed development, said she and other area residents recognize the need for more retail shopping in the area. Yet traffic issues still weigh on her mind.

Everyone knows there's a lack of good retail in our area," Jones said. "(Sacramento) County will need the sales tax ... but the traffic mitigation will make or break our community."

Jones said several state and local agencies in the area must deal with the increased traffic -- from Caltrans, which is responsible for Highway 50, to Regional Transit, which is responsible for the nearby Butterfield Station light-rail stop, to Sacramento County, which is responsible for Bradshaw Road. The area also abuts the boundaries of nearby Rancho Cordova, adding another jurisdiction into the crowded mix, Jones said.

Jones said both her community and the developer have similar goals and that these goals can be attained only by all agencies working together to devise a sensible traffic plan.

"It won't do their business any good if it's a big traffic jam, and no one comes," Jones said. "It'll take some leadership and statesmanship by Caltrans and the Board of Supervisors to solve this problem. But it'll be cheaper now than in the future."

[BrianSac]

Railyard proposal takes new shapes
Arena and canal are out as developer adds 1-acre parks and 2,000 housing units.
By Mary Lynne Vellinga - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, June 2, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B1

Print | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Digg it | del.icio.us

The developer of the downtown railyard this week unveiled a new version of its plan for the 240-acre site -- one that better connects the proposed development to the city's existing streets, and replaces a planned canal with a string of 1-acre parks.

Curving boulevards and long blocks have given way to a grid that mirrors Sacramento. City officials and community activists say the shorter blocks would be more hospitable to pedestrians.

"Before, it was much more of a suburban type subdivision with wide boulevards and cul-de-sacs," said Assistant City Manager Marty Hanneman.


The canal idea was scrapped because of concern about people falling in, and also the potential difficulty of keeping the water clean, he said.

Another 2,000 housing units were added to the plan -- bringing the total to 12,000.

A new arena for the Kings has been deleted -- at least for now -- because voters last November rejected the idea of paying for one. The "sports and entertainment zone" contained in the last version of the plan has been turned into a "West End" district of stores, housing and a hotel.

One thing hasn't changed, however. A giant Bass Pro fishing emporium will be one of the first things built in the converted railyard. It's planned for the northwestern edge of the site closest to Interstate 5.

The evolving vision for the railyard now includes a major performing arts complex and conservatory -- dubbed the California Academy of the Arts. Developer Thomas Enterprises is working with major arts groups in town, along with California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Davis.

"We want to attract students from all over. We want to become the West Coast Juilliard (School)," said Richard Rich, development director for Thomas Enterprises, the Georgia-based developer that in December bought the property from Union Pacific.

Rich also is working with representatives of the city Asian American community to create a memorial -- they are now pushing for a museum -- that would document the history of Yee Fou (or Second City), the Chinese neighborhood that once bustled just south of the railyard. It also could recall the contributions of Chinese workers to building the transcontinental railroad.

The city of Sacramento plans to solicit public comment on the new plan -- which will guide development in the railyard over the next 20 years -- at a workshop Thursday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Amtrak depot on I Street.

"We want as many people as possible to come and give us their feedback," Hanneman said.

The city took title to the depot at the same time that Thomas Enterprises bought the rest of the railyard, ending nearly 150 years of railroad ownership. The city plans to build a new transit center in the railyard, just south of the historic shops.

City leaders have adopted an aggressive timeline for getting the railroad development on track toward construction. The schedule calls for an environmental impact report to be issued by August, and for a final City Council vote on the project by fall.

"In the next six months, we're going to be moving at warp speed," Hanneman said.

Major financial hurdles remain before construction can begin, however.

Thomas Enterprises and the city are working on a financing plan they can use to cobble together the $530 million for streets, sewers, power lines and other infrastructure that will be needed in the railyard as it gradually builds out to become a major extension of downtown.

Another $300 million -- about a third of which already has been identified -- is needed for the city to build its planned multi-use transit center for trains, light rail and buses. Part of that plan is to move the historic depot about a block to the north and make it part of the new complex.

Finally, the developer also will be looking for funds to help restore the historic brick railroad shops into a public market, restaurants and entertainment venues.

The state, meanwhile, is working on its own plan to transform some of the buildings as an extension of the California State Railroad Museum that would showcase railroad technology.

City leaders and executives of Thomas Enterprises are busy meeting with politicians in the Capitol -- getting in line for money from state bonds approved last fall to help transit-oriented development.

"We're getting a lot of attention at the state level," said Thomas Enterprises Vice President Suheil Totah.

These days, as they begin the daunting task of pushing their vision toward reality, Totah and Rich are spending much of their time giving tours of the railyard, which was long shuttered and off-limits to the public.

Marj Dickinson, assistant vice chancellor of UC Davis, took a tour on Wednesday. She was charmed by the old shop buildings, a warren of 19th-century brick structures lined with arched windows and separated by narrow alleys.

"I kept wandering around looking at those buildings and saying, 'Who would ever build industrial buildings with all those wonderful arches now. They're beautiful. Aesthetically you can imagine all sorts of exciting space that just brings people in."

[BrianSac]

Great news(IMHO):


Highway 50, Bradshaw proposal: I agree, good news.

Taken from the article you posted:

"It won't do their business any good if it's a big traffic jam, and no one comes," Jones said. "......sort of an oxymoron dont ya think. :)

[urban_encounter]

The evolving vision for the railyard now includes a major performing arts complex and conservatory -- dubbed the California Academy of the Arts. Developer Thomas Enterprises is working with major arts groups in town, along with California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Davis.

This is my favorite part of the entire plan..

Hopefully by "performing arts complex", they mean theater and or conert hall, in additon to the Academy.

On a side note, i'm surprised that a separate thread doesn't yet exist for the Railayards in the Sacramento sub forum. With all of the things that will be ahppening, if any project deserves it's own thread, it's the railyards..

[urban_encounter]

California Indian museum finds a site
Published 12:00 am PDT Saturday, June 2, 2007
Story appeared in METRO section, Page B2


WEST SACRAMENTO -- A planned museum to showcase the heritage of California Indians found a home Friday when the city agreed to donate riverfront property for the cultural center that will include an amphitheater.

The California Indian Heritage Center Task Force had tried to put the museum on the banks of the American River, but was unable to resolve land issues.

The West Sacramento Parks and Community Services Commission will consider a formal proposal on June 8 to donate 43 acres.

The California Indian Heritage Center will have a library, exhibit space and landscaping with indigenous gardens.

-- M.S. Enkoji

[ozone]

fu'k why is this city letting west sac get everything?

[wburg]

BrianSac: Indeed, that's a Zen statement worthy of Yogi Berra.

Although I hear that kind of thing a lot: "People don't ride light rail because the cars are overcrowded!"

[sacamenna kid]

fu'k why is this city letting west sac get everything?

Because it's a smaller city with a more nimble apparatus for approvals, and they're properly aggressive. The era of competition with them is a matter of the past. It's now time to cooperate, as is already happening on the River sheme, in regional planning. My only regret is that they don't also have I-5.

[sugit]

It's unfortunate that they scrapped the tower though..

What was the plan for that? I knew there was one originally, but I couldn't find any details on what it looked like or why is was scrapped?

Good news on the Indian Heritage Center as well. I was beginning to think it was going to wind up in Folsom.

[ltsmotorsport]

In the article it mentioned the clothespin shape, and I guess people just had to many strong opinions against it, so they through it out.

[joninsac]

A couple more Crocker renderings -
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion3.png
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion2.png
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion1.png

[Sacto]

Nice renderings. Thanks for posting.

[ozone]

The new Crocker addtion does look very Richard Meier -who designed the Getty but I believe Gwathmey Siegel is doing the work. I think budget and site constraints precluded a really dramatic/narcissistic design. In this case I prefer the more restrained, neo-modern design.

[ozone]

Because it's a smaller city with a more nimble apparatus for approvals, and they're properly aggressive. The era of competition with them is a matter of the past. It's now time to cooperate, as is already happening on the River sheme, in regional planning. My only regret is that they don't also have I-5.

My complaint was not with WeSac as much as it was w/ Sac. I'm a prefectly happy with WeSac getting the Indian Heritage Center, the CHP HQ and possibly the new governor's residence. I never liked the particularly American habit of rivers diving a city-I prefer the Paris model. Obviously, West Sacramento shares a lot more common interests/goals with Central Sacramento than do Sacramento's far flung suburbs.

I think a site on the Sacramento River is actually much better -will be more accessible and builds more attractions on the river.

[Deno]

[QUOTE=TowerDistrict;2868118]hahaha, how's that for a welcome!

god I couldn't disagree more... in fact skyscrapers are probably more a byproduct of a desireable downtown, than the other way around.[/QUOT


A few skyscrapers with condos would make downtown more desireable. Is this the skyscraper forum????

[cozmoose]

A couple more Crocker renderings -
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion3.png
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion2.png
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/jpmarshll/CrockerExpansion1.png

Its the Frankenstein Museum of Arts. :sly:
Its like they went to the museum parts store and bought bits of this and that and stitched it together. So ugly. :yuck:

[sugit]

Speaking of the Crocker...looks like they got some more funds this past week.

The more and more I read about the expansion, this seems like one heck of an accomplishment in Sacramento. Hopefully there are more people out there willing to drop this much on civic institutes like this when the next big one rolls around. As I have said before, it really seems like philanthropy has really stepped up over the last few years.

Hey Ozone - Was that first comment on Sacebee.com yours? :-)

Even the Unity Center got into the mix as well
Tribe gives $1.5 million to Capital Unity Center (http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/201654.html)


__________________________________________________

Huge boost for museum
Crocker's top benefactors pitch in an extra $10 million for coming expansion
By Bobby Caina Calvan - Bee Staff Writer
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/203849.html

Two of the Crocker Art Museum's biggest boosters are reaching deeper into their pockets, each pledging an additional $5 million for a major expansion that would triple the size of a facility struggling to accommodate its burgeoning collection and supersized ambitions.

The $10 million infusion was announced at a fundraiser at Cal Expo on Saturday night, as the museum prepares to break ground next month on its new $85 million wing and launch a broader appeal for cash among the general public.

To date, the museum's capital campaign has relied on a relatively small group of benefactors -- 164, by the museum's count -- who have contributed $80 million of the $100 million goal.

The biggest contributor has been the Joyce and Jim Teel Family Foundation -- a product of the Raley's grocery fortune -- which announced on Saturday that it would add $5 million to its earlier pledge of $8 million.

Mort and Marcy Friedman, who chair the museum's fundraising campaign, also announced they would donate another $5 million to the effort, bringing their total contributions to $10 million.

"The story here is the unbelievable generosity" of the Teels and Friedmans "for their significant gifts," said Lial Jones, the museum's executive director. "They have been absolutely essential to our progress every step of the way."

"We have worked really hard to get to this point," said Joyce Raley Teel, an honorary co-chair for the museum's capital campaign. "My family is proud and privileged to give this gift to the Crocker, because it leaves this legacy."

The donations represent the region's heftiest philanthropic effort to support a cultural endeavor that has fared poorly in the competition for government funding. Arts funding has dropped precipitously in California in recent years. Last year, the state ranked last in the nation in per-capita spending -- just 6 cents per resident -- for art programs, a statistic that concerns boosters of the arts.

Museums such as the Crocker have had to increasingly rely on wealthy patrons to fund programs and major capital projects.

"You can't have a great city without extraordinary institutions," added Marcy Friedman.

The city, county and state have kicked in $18.5 million for the museum project -- although the sale of a nearby lot, near Capitol Mall and dubbed "Lot X," is expected to increase the city of Sacramento's contribution.

The Crocker is a joint partnership of the city and the Crocker Art Museum Association.

The Crocker's expansion, when completed in 2010, would expand the museum's footprint at Second and O streets, but also would undoubtedly extend its reach across the Valley -- and could help it to begin rivaling museums of greater size and stature.

"When this museum opens, it will be an icon for the city," said Jones, the museum's executive director.

"It is not just about an art museum. It's about civic pride."

That sentiment was shared by Mayor Heather Fargo, who calls the museum "a critical piece in our downtown revitalization."

The expansion allows the city's redevelopment engine to continue revving. "We've been really improving downtown Sacramento," Fargo said, "in making it a magnet for the people in the city and beyond."

Requests for bids for much of the construction work are to go out this week, and a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for July 26. The first phase involves shifting Second Street to accommodate the museum's expanded footprint.

The new wing would expand the Crocker to 170,000 square feet. The new museum would approach the size of San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art, which has 225,000 square feet for galleries, exhibits, cafes and shops. The Crocker will have the same amount of space for traveling exhibitions as the newly renovated de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park.

"For the first time, it will be a light, warm, inviting space," Jones said. "Museums are educational institutions. What we really want to do is engage visitors with works of art."

Foremost, the new wing will allow the museum to showcase a larger selection of its collection of 14,000 works of art, including its vast array of California art and ceramics -- and one of the country's most impressive collections of master drawings.

"Our collection is already world-class," said Jones. "What we don't have is the ability to show the works that give our museum its stature."

The museum's galleries have room for just 4 percent of the Crocker's collection, just a third of the industry standard.

While the expansion is expected to dramatically improve the art lover's experience -- with more to see, airier galleries, a roomier gift shop and a much- demanded cafe -- some of the most crucial improvements will be mostly out of view.

For the first time, the museum will be equipped with a freight elevator and a loading dock, standard amenities at major museums.

At times, oversized paintings have had to be removed from their frames, rolled up, then reframed for display. Some pieces have had to be slipped through windows -- because of narrow halls, low doorways and other architectural quirks that sometimes make maneuvering difficult at the museum.

Many of those quirks have been both blessing and curse. The old Victorians that originally comprised the museum lend a distinct sense of history and ornate color to the facility, but their halls have been constricting.

The Herold Wing, which features the architectural sensibilities of the 1960s, will be torn down.

The final edifice will be a marriage of the new and old. Much of the gleaming new facade will be stark white -- giving it a glow designed to harken that of the nearby Capitol -- but will be seamlessly anchored by the museum's existing Victorians, once the home and private art gallery of Judge Edwin B. Crocker, whose family was among California's "Big Four" railroad barons.

The museum's architects -- Gwathmey, Siegel & Associates -- designed the expansion of the Guggenheim in New York and the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle.

In the past 11 months, nearly 160,000 people visited the Crocker. The expansion is expected to help the museum draw as many as 300,000 visitors, perhaps more, annually once the new wing opens.

The museum also hopes to boost its membership from the current 9,400 to more than 12,500 by 2010.

[urban_encounter]

Hopefully there are more people out there willing to drop this much on civic institutes like this when the next big one rolls around. As I have said before, it really seems like philanthropy has really stepped up over the last few years.


Well said Sugit.

Hopefully the next big one" will be the Performing Arts Center.

:fingerscrossed:

[wburg]

Sacramento has a historically bad record of philanthropy, because the folks who got rich here typically didn't stay. This was partially due to the weather, partially because San Francisco became the business center of California while Sacramento was busy becoming a production and government center. Folks like the Big Four (Stanford, Crocker, Huntington and Hopkins) moved to San Francisco to build their mansions, as did folks like Albert Gallatin, although they left their mansions behind. This was also true of many working class folks: they'd move here to work, and move on when the work went elsewhere. The folks who stayed in Sacramento were the middle managers and shopkeepers, and the middle class doesn't really have enough cash for heavy-duty philanthropy. Thus, art museums and educational institutions traditionally didn't do really well here. The Crocker is the perennial exception, primarily because E.B. died before he could move to San Francisco, and technically he was a particularly successful middle manager (he got the job because his brother built the railroad.)

So, thank the invention of air conditioning, because it seems like Sacramento is finally getting enough "old money" to whip up some philanthropy.

[TowerDistrict]

A few skyscrapers with condos would make downtown more desireable. Is this the skyscraper forum????

Would you buy a condo for $600-800 per square foot in a city that was unsafe and dead after 6 pm? Would you lease class A office space for $3.75 per square foot in Roseville? Would you pay $200 a night to sleep in Rancho?

Sure it's fun to talk about really tall buildings, and they look real pretty from the freeway, but there's a whole lot details in between a surface parking lot and a 50 story tower. There's not much to say about a 600' skyscraper if it's all hypothetical.

You see the chicken and I see the egg, I guess.

[BrianSac]

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/4585/3target1embeddedprodaffia3.jpg

Bob Shallit: Target may hit the mark for design of new store
By Bob Shallit - Bee Columnist
Last Updated 7:30 am PDT Monday, June 4, 2007
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D3

A Target store proposed at 65th Street near Highway 50 would feature a much sleeker urban design than a previous plan dismissed by neighbors and city officials as too suburban. Artist's rendition

See additional images


Target Corp. heard the howls two years ago when it proposed a standard, suburban-style store on 65th Street near Highway 50.

Now it has a new, higher density concept that could very well appease the neighbors, planners and city officials who objected to the original design.

Proposed is a two-story, glass structure, with parking on the first floor and a Target store on the second. Single-story shops, along with plazas, fountains and seating, would be positioned in front of two sides of the building to complement the nearby light-rail station and provide a "smaller, more pedestrian scale," says the company's senior development manager, John Dewes.



"We've come a long way on this," says Dewes, who acknowledges the company didn't anticipate the controversy it sparked when it acquired the former Golden 1 Credit Union administrative site two years ago and envisioned a standard Target there fronted by a sea of parking.

"We approached it with the idea that it was our more typical kind of suburban store, not a downtown type location " he says. But, Dewes says, company officials soon realized "that's not the way the community saw it."

As a result, Target staff "reassessed," he says, and came up with the new proposal, designed by Target's internal team and Nadel Retail Architects of Sacramento.

As part of its plan, Target is proposing to keep and remodel a two-story office building that sits on the east side of the 10-acre lot. A housing component was considered there, but Dewes says talks with community leaders convinced Target that office space is a bigger need.

City officials say they like the new design.

"Certainly the changes are positive," says Councilman Kevin McCarty, a critic of the original plan. He says the project now "more reflects the urban environment we're trying to create there."

McCarty expects environmental review of the proposal to take about a year. If that goes well, permitting would take another year, and construction one more, Dewes says.

* * *

[Deno]

[QUOTE=TowerDistrict;2877000]Would you buy a condo for $600-800 per square foot in a city that was unsafe and dead after 6 pm? Would you lease class A office space for $3.75 per square foot in Roseville? Would you pay $200 a night to sleep in Rancho?

Maybe some high rise condos downtown would make downtown less dead after 6pm.:yes:

[innov8]

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6200/621cm120070604fff8.jpg

621 Capitol Mall

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/8452/calstrs20070604fkh4.jpg

CalSTRS

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/2921/500cm120070604fkx6.jpg

500 Capitol Mall

I have posted more pics from all the above under Highrise Construction http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/forumdisplay.php?f=103

[JeffZurn]

Has anybody heard whats going on with Aura, I know there is an extention out, and they were tearing up the parking lot. And whats up with Capitol Grand I checked out the proposal page and nothing has been posted for quite a while.

[arod74]

A whole lotta nothing is whats going on Jeff. Aura is still scuffling to find additional financing and is on its 4th or 5th extension (lost count a couple of extensions ago) for the city's gap loan. I wouldnt read too much into the parking lot tear up. Could be numerous reasons that don't include Aura being built as to the recent activity there. As for Capitol Grand, I don't think you have to say much more other than it is proposed by the infamously cheap slum lord Mo Mohanna. If a shovel of dirt ever gets moved for that project, it would be the biggest upset in the history of the universe.

[innov8]

A couple weeks ago I posted that The Capitol Grand Towers EIR schedule was
put on hold. The developer is required to pay additional fees for the
environmental document preparation before the project can move forward.

[wburg]

Thought you guys might be interested in this: final elevations for the Trammell Crow condo project on Alhambra and S.

http://www.newtonbooth.org/West_S-Street_Elevation_640.jpg
http://www.newtonbooth.org/North_Interior_East_Elevations_640.jpg

The total number of condos is 275, about 40% of which are two-bedroom (the rest are single bedroom.) Parking is in a central structure with a capacity of about 400 spaces, one per bedroom. All of the units are supposed to have some sort of patio or porch, in addition there is a pool and several courtyard areas within the complex. Most of the complex is 4 stories tall, except for the building on the corner of S and Alhambra, which is 5 stories tall and will feature about 4000 feet of ground floor retail.

There will be a number of streetscape improvements, including acorn streetlights down both sides of S Street, bulb-outs to protect pedestrian crossing at Alhambra and 32nd Streets, and the center "suicide lane" will be eliminated, instead there will be bike lanes on either side of S Street. There will also be a pedestrian crossing at Alhambra and R to facilitate walking to the 29th Street light rail station.

Demolition of the existing "buzz-box" should start in August, and construction should start in early 2008. TCR expects to have the first units ready for sale in the summer of 2010.

[TowerDistrict]

maybe the NAGs aren't happy with Trammell Crow's project, but I think it's damn fine looking project. There's just a ton of detail to it - each component looks from a different age but still cohesive enough to not be a brutal distraction.

anyway the neighborhood should be thrilled that they're getting streetscape improvements that usually take decades of campaigning and many thousands in tax dollars to create.... all for free.

[wburg]

The project has improved visually in each iteration (it's a *lot* better than the first draft), but it wasn't the aesthetics that the neighborhood opposed.

[ozone]

I’m trying to picture where this is going to be. The Co-op is on S/Alhambra …so where is this going in relationship to it?

I like the clean, modern design. I also like the mixture of warm, dark earth tone/autumn colors I see in this project and many others lately around Midtown. Maybe it’s a trend everywhere but it’s a particularly good color for the Sacramento light. I hate that ubiquitous pinkish beige. I can’t think of a more unattractive color for Sacramento. I don’t like fixed design regulations but if I could I would ban the ‘Sacramento beige’ and encourage those dark autumn colors.

Yeah there are still a lot of suburbanites in Midtown and East Sacramento who want to have all the benefits of living close to the center of things but they don’t want to give others the same opportunity.

[snfenoc]

The project has improved visually in each iteration (it's a *lot* better than the first draft), but it wasn't the aesthetics that the neighborhood opposed.

Yeah, it was development and a better community that they opposed. Actually, they don't mind development or a better community - as long as it does not happen anywhere near them.

[snfenoc]

double post

[innov8]

Here are a few I took from a few weeks back.

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/7507/36621cmroof20070511fdb5.jpg

http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/2097/14621cmroof20070511fwc9.jpg

http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/1883/22621cmroof20070511frv4.jpg

[ltsmotorsport]

Yeah there are still a lot of suburbanites in Midtown and East Sacramento who want to have all the benefits of living close to the center of things but they don’t want to give others the same opportunity.

Funny. That's how it is all over this state. SF, SLO.....

[Grimnebulin]

Great photos Mike! How do you get permission to get up there?

[sugit]

Developers renew interest in downtown lot owned by county

David Taylor, whose U.S. Bank Tower is taking shape at 621 Capitol Mall, is one of the developers looking at the half block of I Street that had once been slated for a residential tower.

The block between 7th and 8th streets, owned by Sacramento County, is home to a vacant building that was once a Bank of America branch and a temporary City Hall. Homebuilder D.R. Horton had proposed a 21-story tower there but canceled plans last year when new home sales plummeted.

Taylor and a yet unnamed partner are among three groups who've had informal talks with county leaders about the property. Another interested party is Ravel Rasmussen, one of the original bidders. It still wants to build office space there, either as leaseable or owner-occupied, said one of the firm's partners, Gary Ravel.

County Supervisor Roger Dickinson said the county is pushing for mixed use, with residential units and a restaurant, along with space for a county agency or two.

[seinar]

Hello All,

This is my first post ever. I own and operate a cost estimating consulting firm here in Sacramento. I did the initial budget estimate for TCR (Steve Hester) for the Alhambra Condo project. At the time, the market had just slowed, and construction costs were still rising. TCR was thinking of $100/sf for construction I estimated $150+/sf. At the time TCR did not think that the project would go.
Now I have been estimating for +12 years, and i know the market, and i know that almost all developers "underestimate" construction costs. I have not been involved in the project since, but I wonder what they are costing this project at. TCR must be counting on the housing market rebounding. It doesn't look that different from when I first saw it.

BTW, I also did the cost review for 621 Capitol Mall. The costs were good.
Also, in my humble opinion, the reason projects like the Towers dont get built, is because developers "underestimate" their costs, and blame it on skyrocketing increases in materials, or their numbers are so old, they dont apply anymore.

[sugit]

Welcome to the boards, seinar. Always nice to have someone who does this for a living and knows the in and outs of what we enjoy talking about.

[wburg]

ozone: Kitty-cornered from the Co-Op, on the lot that currently has a Buzz-box and parking lot on it.

Actually, the neighborhood didn't oppose the idea of putting residential development on the site either, the concerns were over total number of units and the centralized parking structure. I certainly wouldn't have wanted single-family detatched housing on an Elk Grove/Natomas model, as that is considerably less dense than the existing neighborhood (mostly 40x80 lots, single family or duplexes--roughly 20 dua.) We had hoped for an R3 equivalent, about 36 dua, with distributed parking instead of a common structure, and massing that matched the current Alhambra Corridor design district guidelines.

The centralized parking structure means that people who live on the outer edges of the project will have the equivalent of a one-block walk, plus several flights of stairs, to get to their cars. This means it's pretty likely that folks on the perimeter of the building will park on the street--and most of the homes on the other side of S Street don't have driveways. Parking in the neighborhood was already affected by the proximity of Caltrans and the Co-Op.

Proximity to transit is nice, but we had to argue all the way to the City Council appeal just to get an additional crosswalk at Alhambra and R approved (which the neighborhood, the developer, Planning and Design Review all wanted--city staff was resistant to the idea) to help encourage transit orientation.

There were other concerns, but I'm sure this is more than enough detail for most.

[Phillip]

[B]The block between 7th and 8th streets, owned by Sacramento County, is home to a vacant building that was once a Bank of America branch and a temporary City Hall. Homebuilder D.R. Horton had proposed a 21-story tower there but canceled plans last year when new home sales plummeted.

When I was in Sac for the first time, in 96/97, that building was still a Bank of America branch. I went there all the time because it had BofA's only driveup ATM in Downtown/Midtown. You could get money there without getting out of your car.

I'm not too lazy to get out of my car but there were usually panhandlers hanging around BofA's ATMs on 30th and K and 15th and Broadway. And the ATM mounted outside 555 Capitol Mall, since removed, was for pedestrians. No place to park there even for even a minute.

BofA has driveup ATMs in most cities. Even Fresno has them! Does BofA have any driveup ATMs in Sac? If they do I bet they're in Roseville. It's just an outrage!

:tantrum:

[innov8]

Great photos Mike! How do you get permission to get up there?

I schmooze... and then I schmooze some more :)

Actually I've gotten to know the Project Superintendent... so I did what any of us
would do, ask and plead to go to the top :yes: If you pick up this months
Sactown Mag., there is also a shot from the 25th floor with both the Mayor
and David Tayor.

[TowerDistrict]

I'm not too lazy to get out of my car but there were usually panhandlers hanging around BofA's ATMs on 30th and K and 15th and Broadway. And the ATM mounted outside 555 Capitol Mall, since removed, was for pedestrians. No place to park there even for even a minute.

BofA has driveup ATMs in most cities. Even Fresno has them! Does BofA have any driveup ATMs in Sac? If they do I bet they're in Roseville. It's just an outrage!:tantrum:

I've never understood the panhandlers that post up at the ATMs. I mean, the thing spits out $20's and then they ask for a dollar. So it would actually end up me the one asking for change.

[Grimnebulin]

I schmooze... and then I schmooze some more :)

Actually I've gotten to know the Project Superintendent... so I did what any of us
would do, ask and plead to go to the top :yes: If you pick up this months
Sactown Mag., there is also a shot from the 25th floor with both the Mayor
and David Tayor.

:haha: http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Music/music-045.gif

You da man!

[Nawlijispower]

I am pretty sure that there is a BofA drive thru ATM off of Stockton Blvd just south of Fruitridge on the west side. I dont bank there so im not positive. And you do run the risk of getting held up at gun point coming over here.

When I was in Sac for the first time, in 96/97, that building was still a Bank of America branch. I went there all the time because it had BofA's only driveup ATM in Downtown/Midtown. You could get money there without getting out of your car.

I'm not too lazy to get out of my car but there were usually panhandlers hanging around BofA's ATMs on 30th and K and 15th and Broadway. And the ATM mounted outside 555 Capitol Mall, since removed, was for pedestrians. No place to park there even for even a minute.

BofA has driveup ATMs in most cities. Even Fresno has them! Does BofA have any driveup ATMs in Sac? If they do I bet they're in Roseville. It's just an outrage!

:tantrum:

[Phillip]

I've never understood the panhandlers that post up at the ATMs. I mean, the thing spits out $20's and then they ask for a dollar. So it would actually end up me the one asking for change.LOL, TowerDistrict. We should lobby BofA to reprogram their ATMs with an option to dispense two twenties and a one!

[Phillip]

I am pretty sure that there is a BofA drive thru ATM off of Stockton Blvd just south of Fruitridge on the west side. I dont bank there so im not positive. And you do run the risk of getting held up at gun point coming over here.I haven't been to Stockton and Fruitridge in awhile. Or held up. Will report back.

[Phillip]

An interesting interview with Sacramento developer and UC-Davis alum Paul Petrovich in the California Aggie.

UC Davis alumnus discusses business success
Paul Petrovich estimates self-worth at over $100 million

By: MILES DUNCAN
Caifornia Aggie, 5/31/07

In the business world, making $1 million has long been the standard goal for a young entrepreneur. For Paul Petrovich, who reached that plateau before the age of 24, it was just a starting point.

The UC Davis alumnus, who estimates his current worth at more than $100 million, is founder of the Petrovich Development Company. Started in 1986, the corporation designs and builds shopping centers, like the Oakshade Town Center in South Davis, and then leases them to a variety of businesses.

Though Petrovich now owns one of the largest development companies in the country, realizing the American Dream didn't come easy for him.

For all his business achievements, Petrovich started out as an athlete, winning a Babe Ruth League World Series while still in high school. As a promising pitcher, he received 18 athletic scholarships to play college baseball but lost the only one he accepted, from UCLA, after getting drunk at his high school senior prom.

Petrovich then deferred to Long Beach State, though he said he "hated it there," and transferred to UC Davis shortly thereafter. While at Davis, he enjoyed a wealth of experiences, including pitching for the baseball team, being a member of the fraternity Phi Delta Theta and working as a volunteer firefighter.

After graduating in 1982 with a degree in managerial and agricultural economics, he accepted a job offer to work as a broker during his senior year. But after arriving on his first day, he found that the man who offered him the job had been fired and had to fight the brokerage firm's manager for his promised position.

"He said, 'Fine. There's a desk and a phone and a phonebook. Go for it,'" Petrovich said. "So I was afraid to leave my seat - I thought they were going to change the locks - and I ended up being their top producer."

Yet the brokerage world was not always so successful for Petrovich, who recalled making only $1,100 in his first 14 months, while working 90-hour weeks. All that changed when he got a listing on the corner of Third and A streets in Davis for an old bookstore that was going out of business.

Leasing the property to FedEx Kinko's, a cookie store and Café Roma, Petrovich used the opportunity to make his first real profit in the business and a name for himself in the process. Encouraged by Petrovich's growing reputation, the owner of University Mall contacted him to redevelop and sell the property.

Through hard work, he earned $256,000 from the deal, though Petrovich didn't know how much he had made until his father delivered him the check.

"I remember he just slugged me. He said, 'You son of a bitch, I'm holding a quarter of a million dollars in my pocket,'" Petrovich said, laughing. "And for a guy that grew up in the Depression, and fought in World War II, landed on Normandy, that was a big deal for him."

Petrovich attributes his success as much to his competitive sports background as to his upbringing by Depression-era parents. However, he insists that in his industry, "it all comes down to instincts."

"In business, you only have so many opportunities to make money," he said. "You only have so many opportunities to make a bad choice or a good choice and survive. And if you don't continue to make more right decisions than wrong decisions, you're going to fail."

Petrovich said his business model often leads him to redevelop real estate in inner-city areas, reusing the infrastructure of roads and utilities to build his shopping centers.

"For doing that, I end up having incredibly successful projects that people want to shop at because it answers the needs of a community that had been ignored," he said. "A lot of times this ends up in ethnically mixed areas. They're underserved."

Petrovich takes a more conventional approach to philanthropy as well, having donated to an on-campus oncology lab. He is also currently working to provide new homes for orphans in Sacramento. Most famously, he is working to clean up Sacramento's Curtis Park, a neighborhood consisting of an old train yard highly contaminated with lead and arsenic, and redevelop it with homes and a shopping center.

Petrovich also contributes art to the community through his projects, in what he calls "private art in public places," including his most talked-about piece, a sculpture made out of recycled chrome bumpers in front of a Safeway market.

"Taking some of my profits and putting it in the form of interesting, thought-provoking art is another way of having people enjoy and think about their shopping experience, as opposed to it being just another grocery store," he said.

The father of three said he plans to keep running his business at least until his children graduate from college, but said he almost wouldn't recommend the industry to them.

"It's a very demanding, teeth-grinding, hyper-competitive environment that will eat you alive if you don't have the backbone," he said.

For those competitive enough to try to make it in business, Petrovich suggests obtaining a law background and avoiding difficult partnerships. He said most entrepreneurs don't need an MBA.

As for the best advice he's ever received? Petrovich said it came from a high school baseball coach who told him, "Don't confuse activity with achievement."

[innov8]

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8428/621cm25th20070604fdk9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/6416/621cm25th220070604fuz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[creamcityleo79]

http://img157.imageshack.us/img157/8428/621cm25th20070604fdk9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img454.imageshack.us/img454/6416/621cm25th220070604fuz4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
I hate DTP in that picture. It's depressing. However, the colors in the pic...divine and awe inspiring. Great pics, as usual, innov8! :)

[innov8]

However, the colors in the pic...divine and awe inspiring. Great pics, as usual, innov8! :)

Thanks man :tup: These photos were taken about five minutes apart late in
the day last Monday. Evening shots can change so fast when clouds are in the sky to block the sun.

[downtownserg89]

wonderful pics, innov8y, but i must agreewith the neuhickster, it looks very depressing! the streets are more dead than my dinner.

[uzi963]

West Sac condo tower on tap
150 units will wait for hotter market
Sacramento Business Journal - June 8, 2007
by Michael Shaw
Staff writer

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/85843-400-0.jpg?rev=2

While residential towers have seemingly stalled in downtown Sacramento, a San Diego developer with pension fund backing is seeking approval for a 24-story condominium tower on the West Sacramento riverfront.

Fairfield Residential LLC is looking to build a 150-unit development on about 1 acre between the pyramid-shaped Ziggurat building and the California State Teachers' Retirement System's new headquarters under construction.

"I don't think you can get a better view from a residential project in the downtown area," said Val Toppenberg, West Sacramento's redevelopment director. The site also abuts West Sacramento's River Walk Park.

Fairfield bought the property last year, but the developer said it's likely to wait until conditions are more favorable before building.

"We're not going to rush into a bad market," said Dan Milich, development manager with Fairfield. "We're in a position to wait it out. If you're wondering about a groundbreaking, it's too early for that."

It's also too early to set prices for the condominiums, he said.

Fairfield has time on its side, Milich said, because fees at the site were frozen for 10 years when development agreements were struck.

Meanwhile, the project has a mighty equity partner in the form of CalSTRS. The pension fund has partnered with Fairfield before. In 2006, the fund's real estate portfolio included $95.1 million in assets attributed to Fairfield or its affiliates, according to a CalSTRS investment report.

The West Sacramento condo tower was originally pitched last year as a 17-story building, but developers decided they needed more stories to make the project work, said Jim Bermudez, associate planner with the city.

Fairfield on Thursday was scheduled to seek approvals from the city's Planning Commission for design approval and permission to add seven stories, which would bring the building up to about 240 feet. Planning staff has recommended approval of the changes. The Planning Commission vote was not available before press time. If adopted, the project could go before the West Sacramento City Council within a month.

City officials are optimistic that the project won't suffer the same setbacks as high-rise condo projects on the Sacramento side of the river.

"Given the nature of the project and the nature of their financing, this probably has an excellent chance of moving forward," Toppenberg said.

Fairfield would need to seek a construction loan to build the project, Milich said. Financing of pricey residential projects is scarce these days, judging from the delays and problems with Sacramento's other condo towers. A resurgent housing market, however, might lead to looser lending.

Fairfield struck an unprecedented agreement with the city over affordable housing.

West Sacramento has a citywide policy that typically requires 15 percent of new housing units to be priced so that low- or very-low-income residents can purchase them. Fairfield, however, does not have to provide affordable units within the tower. For the first time, the city allowed a developer to provide off-site affordable housing to satisfy its inclusionary housing rules.

Fairfield paid about $1.9 million to cover the costs of a nonprofit housing agency that acquired 23 low-income studio apartments in the neighborhood that will be refurbished.

Now, off-site affordable housing is an approach the city will consider with other riverfront properties, given the premium land costs there and the additional expense for building vertical developments, said Aaron Laurel, with the city's Housing and Community Investment Department.

Fairfield develops multifamily housing, ranging from small apartment buildings to high rises nationwide, primarily on the East and West coasts. It often acts as construction manager on its own projects.

The site is part of an overall development plan for 18 acres known collectively as Raley's Landing, so named because the development group included Raley's Inc. The overall plan for Raley's Landing was approved last year and includes additional housing as well as office and commercial space on other riverfront sites. Developers involved in other aspects of the plan include Panattoni Development Corp. and Signature Properties Inc.

Signature is now planning the first phase of a 7-acre site north of Raley Field and West Capitol Avenue for lots that would house 134 townhomes, with prices starting in the mid $300,000s, said David Nybo, Signature's director of land acquisition and forward planning. The company is seeking tentative map approval from the Planning Commission and if all goes well, could begin construction within a year. Future phases include a neighborhood coffee shop and restaurant, and two mid-rise projects that would bring the total number of units to about 400.

Large condo projects have not fared well in the past year.

In Sacramento, there has been no word yet from the partners in The Towers on Capitol Mall project -- John Saca and the California Public Employees' Retirement System -- on what will happen with their plans to build twin 53-story condo towers. Saca has failed to come up with enough financing to satisfy the agreement with CalPERS, essentially putting the project on hold.

Craig Nassi, the developer of Aura, another high-rise condo tower in downtown Sacramento, has struggled to secure financing for the project since last fall.

mshaw@bizjournals.com | 916-558-7861

[arod74]

Well, more high density housing on the west bank of the river is a good thing I just wish it didn't look like a cheap square state office building. Hopefully just a bad render.

[creamcityleo79]

More good news for downtown!...from the Sacramento Bee:
Extreme makeover: Owners of the ramshackle Marshall Hotel downtown are eyeing a major renovation that could convert the historic Seventh Street structure to condos, apartments or a boutique hotel.

No specific plans have been made, says Pete Noack, part of a local investment group that bought the historic, five-story building two years ago.

But he says his group has had informal talks with city officials about "an adaptive re-use" of the 95-room hotel, at Seventh and L, and is convinced the time is right for the building "to have its second life," given a spate of redevelopment activities planned or under way in the downtown core.

The current 75 or so low-income residents probably wouldn't be displaced for at least 24 months, Noack says. And the owners are considering including some kind of low-income residential component in their project.

"We have an obligation to the people who live there," he says.

Whatever the eventual plan for the site, the innards of the building will need to be gutted. The rooms are tiny and obsolete; most don't have bathrooms, for example. Plumbing and electrical systems are in serious disrepair.

What's the building's charm?

"The exterior, period. That's it," Noack says. "There are no other redeeming features."

[travis bickle]

I’m trying to picture where this is going to be. The Co-op is on S/Alhambra …so where is this going in relationship to it?

I like the clean, modern design. I also like the mixture of warm, dark earth tone/autumn colors I see in this project and many others lately around Midtown. Maybe it’s a trend everywhere but it’s a particularly good color for the Sacramento light. I hate that ubiquitous pinkish beige. I can’t think of a more unattractive color for Sacramento. I don’t like fixed design regulations but if I could I would ban the ‘Sacramento beige’ and encourage those dark autumn colors.

Yeah there are still a lot of suburbanites in Midtown and East Sacramento who want to have all the benefits of living close to the center of things but they don’t want to give others the same opportunity.

Yes... I've discovered the difference between a good developer and a bad developer.

A good developer is the one who built your house.

A bad developer is one who built any house after that.:yes:

[Phillip]

I am pretty sure that there is a BofA drive thru ATM off of Stockton Blvd just south of Fruitridge on the west side. I dont bank there so im not positive. And you do run the risk of getting held up at gun point coming over here.

Right you are, Nawlijispower! A BofA driveup ATM on Stockton south of Fruitridge. And I wasn't held up at gunpoint!

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6379/img0275ck3.jpg

[wburg]

Yes... I've discovered the difference between a good developer and a bad developer.

A good developer is the one who built your house.

A bad developer is one who built any house after that.:yes:

Hey now...my house was built in 1907, and I like quite a few buildings built since that date!

Just slightly a gross overgeneralization...there's a definite difference between neighborhood activists in the central city and those out in the 'burbs. I read a story in the Bee a few months back about some neighborhood group in Citrus Heights that wants to make any development denser than 4 DUA require a citywide public vote!

The midtown variety neighborhood activists are often very interested in infill projects, public transit, opposition to new suburbs and freeway expansion, etcetera...occasionally we'll even come out to speak on behalf of a new neighborhood development or even write a letter of support.

[Nawlijispower]

Right you are, Nawlijispower! A BofA driveup ATM on Stockton south of Fruitridge. And I wasn't held up at gunpoint!

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/6379/img0275ck3.jpg

Im glad it worked out for you.

[ericm2031]

Crystal Ice (http://www.retailwestinc.com/properties/crystalice/flyer.pdf)

I don't know if anyone has posted this about Crystal Ice. Click the link above

[wburg]

Interesting...although I assume the mix of retailers is theoretical rather than ones he has already tied down. The building marked with the "Green Sacramento" sign is the Orchard Supply structure that is slated to be La Bou's new bakery.

SOCA hosted a history tour of R Street last month that included a walk inside the Crystal Ice plant led by Mark Friedman. I thought it went pretty well, and the tour through the plant was really fun. He has some great ideas about adaptive reuse of the current structure--about two-thirds of the existing structure would remain, with modifications, although the eastern portion of the building is probably not stable enough to be preserved. I'm hoping for as much preservation of the interesting urban grit along that street as possible--especially the in-street track and the loading docks.

This Sunday I spoke briefly with the developer who is putting together the proposal for the two half-blocks on the other side of the R/S alley. I am curious as to how it will look, because unlike the Crystal Ice project it is directly adjacent to residential homes, mostly two-story, and a lot of tree canopy. They assured me that they will hold a presentation soon, and that the retail mix is aimed at local artisans rather than chain stores, which I think is a darn good idea.

[sugit]

Nice catch, ericm2031

Interesting...although I assume the mix of retailers is theoretical rather than ones he has already tied down, or at least maybe a letter of intent. The building marked with the "Green Sacramento" sign is the Orchard Supply structure that is slated to be La Bou's new bakery.

The La Bou idea was quite a while ago, maybe things have changed.

I'm not sure so those aren't tenants he has nailed down. Usually if they want to fill in the spaces with theoretical business, they will use some generic name that so closely resembles that is obvious you know the business they are trying to refer too, he is using the actual business names here.

If you look at the brokers website for 800J, they list the actual business that have signed on on their flyer.

If they have been nailed down, that is a pretty impressive list of reailers he was able to sign. Banana Republic, Market Hall, Barnes and Noble, American Appeal, Aveda, Anthropologies Couple seem to be small business from other cities like Manzana (Portland) and Market Hall (Oakland).

Green Sacramento is local (obviously):
http://www.greensacramento.com/

That Market Hall place sounds great...I've been looking for a meat shop close to my place than Taylor's.
http://www.rockridgemarkethall.com/

http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/9639/untitled423db6.png

[sugit]

wburg - did they mention anything the track and cobblestones? I think I remember you saying something about how that might be a problem with ADA.

[wburg]

CADA (and Fulcrum Properties) still considers it a very high priority to preserve the track and the cobblestones, which add atmosphere as well as a particularly aesthetically pleasing form of traffic calming. Most of those are in the numbered streets, so they aren't as directly threatened, but there are some ADA issues with the planned streetscape. ADA prefers a conventional sidewalk with curb, whereas the idea here was to create a more integrated streetscape, using a pattern of yellow "truncated cones" to indicate where pedestrian areas ended and streets began (seen at some Light Rail stations). Either the cones or a conventional sidewalk will cover over tracks in the street.

The La Bou was still in the cards when I went to an earlier presentation, and it was mentioned again when we did the tour last month. I suppose I'm pretty down with the Green Sacramento place, especially if it is local--I wouldn't mind having a hardware store within a short walk of my house, and there's a certain historic-use ring to it, considering that building was an Orchard Supply before closing down. I guess I am going off of how other developers have handled their retail (for example, the TCR folks said that they won't decide on a retailer until after the project is built and the retail space is ready to rent.)

[sugit]

Thanks for the info...

I have to think to get this financed, Freidman would have to have show some sort of revenue coming into the project in the form of signed leases.

Maybe since Trammell Crow is a pretty deep pocketed corporation (Now CBRE), they can get away with not needing the retail leases.

[TowerDistrict]

All those look like quality retailers. Only one local, but it is an interesting mix. Green Sacramento is a great fit there, rather than their present strip mall digs. Really nice people, too.

Anthropologie and American Apparel were both name checked as prospective tenants in Zeiden's 700 block. Looks like everybody is jumping ship.

[travis bickle]

That is an outstanding retail lineup. Of course, none of those stores will ever open on K Street now so the Moe mess and the Westfield curse strike again.

[aufbau]

^Well, it's good to know there are plans still for quality retail chain stores *somewhere* in the central city (and not the DTP)...just wont be K street I guess.

[ozone]

R Street will the K Street we never had?

I believe that the Central City is capable of having multiple successful shopping districts. These shops along R Street will ultimately help K Street because it will encourage people to shop in the Central City. Besides competition is not the Dowtown Plaza or K Street Mall’s problem. Today many people living even in Midtown have to drive out to the suburbs to do their shopping. And as more retailers see that they can make just as much money in the Central City as the suburbs they’ll want to open up shop here too.

[wburg]

Indeed...a project like this on R Street has an easier path to success because there are already dense residential neighborhoods surrounding R Street in midtown. K Street has the built-in limitation of being just a tad farther out of walkability range, but as the central city starts to refill that won't remain the case. Of course, it would help if we dropped Mo Mohanna down a deep, deep hole first.

It seems like the city is getting that part--at the city council meeting last night, regarding approval of the 2030 General Plan land-use element map, there was considerable discussion about the problems of "demolition by neglect" and the after-effects of "non-malicious" building fires. I'm hoping that the Ice Blocks will also provide yet another good model of how to do adaptive reuse in the central city.