Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III

[TWAK]

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8279/eeggroundbreaking.jpg
whatever they are doing today seems to be violently shaking my building

http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/1193/20120104160624.jpg

[Web]

looks like they are backfilling those little trenchs in the "back" of the blocks. And compacting that soil with a vibratory compactor thus the shaking!

[ozone]

KCRA.com


Sacramento City Leaders Approve K Street Project

Development Project Given Thumbs Up By City Leaders

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento city council approved a $47 million dollar project to revitalize the 700 block of K street.
Officials said the project would create 300 construction jobs and 400 permanent jobs and create millions of dollars in tax revenue to the city.
The project includes building retail, residential housing and restaurants along the street.
"It will be 200 people living there on K street and its going to

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/news/28316144/detail.html#ixzz1Pz1NU0XQ

Does anyone know about the ETA is on the demolition, construction and renovation of the 700 Block will be? And does anyone have info on the Marshall Hotel project next door?

[ltsmotorsport]

Shallit mentioned in his predictions on Tuesday that 700K would start by summer. The Marshall project I think is a ways out.

[ozone]

Thanks ltsmotorsport. However, it looks like the Marshall Hotel conversion is already well-underway.

[ltsmotorsport]

I think you mean the Berry Hotel.

[ozone]

I think you mean the Berry Hotel.
Yep, my bad. I know someone who use to own a share of the Marshall Hotel so I guess that's why that name came to mind.

[ltsmotorsport]

Don't get me wrong though, I would love to see the last iteration of the Marshall Hotel project come to fruition. ;)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iflb32pX7Dw/SrKQ2TTzXyI/AAAAAAAACWM/2lxEJgBdslQ/s400/Marshall+2007.jpg

[ozone]

:previous: This would be nice!

[wburg]

Some construction news from today's Bee:

The La Valentina project is from the last round of redevelopment funds approved before the hammer came down. I'm pretty sure the rest are all privately financed.

Housing projects perk up Sacramento's central city
Share
By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 1B

A modest building boom is taking place in Sacramento's central city.

Work is under way on at least a half-dozen projects that will bring more than 250 housing units and thousands of square feet of retail to the grid, even as the market in the rest of the region remains stagnant.

Development in midtown and downtown Sacramento includes a large housing and retail complex along one of the grid's busiest thoroughfares, renewed action at a complex of brownstone-style homes in midtown and an affordable housing complex next to the La Valentina light-rail station on 12th Street.

"We're all looking for good signs," said Councilman Rob Fong, who represents the central city, "and I think that's a good sign."

The growth in midtown is driving a gain in construction activity across the city, officials said. The total value of new construction projects rose 36 percent from 2010 to 2011, said Ryan DeVore, the city's chief building official.

While officials are embracing the improvement, the $385 million in new construction last year was far below the peak from a few years ago, when new activity accounted for over $1 billion annually, DeVore said. Still, the jump last year "did surprise us a little bit," he said, and will mean more revenue for the cash-strapped city.

There are a handful of explanations for the new activity in the central city.

Some developers said they are seeing interest from people emerging from housing market "cocoons," those who have wanted to move closer to downtown but had put off the decision until the market stabilized.

Others point to the growth of health care facilities near the central city – including expansions at Sutter General Hospital, various Mercy facilities and the UC Davis Medical Center – as driving forces behind the expansion.

"That's a lot of good-paying jobs," said developer John Mansfield, who is building nine Craftsman-style homes on S Street between 20th and 21st. "And if you believe what everybody says, people want to live near downtown and midtown."

One block away from Mansfield's development, the Tapestri Square complex has gone through a sudden re-emergence. Construction picked up last year after a long stall, and roughly two dozen of the 58 planned brownstones are up or are being built.

Kevin Noell of Metro Nova development, the firm behind the project, said the company has "been clicking along at about one (new home) a month." And the homes are being built only after a buyer is in place, not on spec.

Noell said most of his buyers are older couples who had been putting off moving to midtown until their children were grown and the market improved.

"They're people who are making a lifestyle decision and want a little more freedom," he said. "People kind of went into a cocoon land (when the market tanked) and the general consensus is that they are more optimistic about the market."

The two largest developments in the midtown and downtown area are under way along two busy arteries.

An affordable-housing project at the La Valentina light-rail station on 12th Street in Mansion Flats is a few months from completion. Springing up along the busy thoroughfare that serves as an entryway to downtown are 81 housing units and ground-floor retail.

The site used to be an auto repair shop but has stood vacant for 20 years.

Farther into the grid, officials held a groundbreaking ceremony last week for 84 apartments and 13,000 square feet of retail at the East End Gateway. Two Spanish-style buildings are under construction at the site, which spreads over two blocks at 16th and O streets.

The project is expected to be finished by next summer.

"It's a perfect project," said Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, adding that it will create "an area where we can live, work and play."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/17/4192418/housing-projects-perk-up-sacramentos.html#storylink=cpy

[202_Cyclist]

UC Davis moves forward on plans for major genomics lab in Sacramento

By Dale Kasler
Sacramento Bee
Feb. 17, 2012

"UC Davis signed a "master agreement" today with a Chinese scientific company that's planning to build a major genomics lab on the university's Sacramento medical campus.

The agreement was signed in Los Angeles by UC Davis Provost Ralph Hexter and Hao Zhang, co-director of the joint venture, known as BGI@UC Davis.

UC Davis believes the lab could generate upwards of 200 jobs in the Sacramento area and help jump-start the region's life-sciences industry..."

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/17/4272415/uc-davis-moves-forward-on-plans.html#mi_rss=Business

[downtownserg89]

Was googling stuff earlier and stumbled upon these projects. Look pretty cool. Are they anywhere near becoming a reality?

BRIDGE Housing Project, West Sacramento
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/render_-_bridge_street_and_corner.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/20815_aerial_-_sw.jpg


Capitol Lofts, R Street
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/9813_sw_perspective_200608.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/9813_nw_perspective_20060424_final.jpg

[kamehameha]

The West Sacramento Bridge housing has already been funded and entitlements completed. Ground breaking was scheduled for this spring but now I'm hearing fall or before the end of 2012.

[Pistola916]

Was googling stuff earlier and stumbled upon these projects. Look pretty cool. Are they anywhere near becoming a reality?

BRIDGE Housing Project, West Sacramento
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/render_-_bridge_street_and_corner.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/20815_aerial_-_sw.jpg


Capitol Lofts, R Street
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/9813_sw_perspective_200608.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/9813_nw_perspective_20060424_final.jpg


Nice. Along with CalStrs, The Bridge project is going to looks nice, a lot better than the crappy CADA design that's going up on 16th and P. Sacramento needs to step it up when it comes to architectural design.

[wburg]

Bridge is, I think, part of the bigger "Triangle" project in West Sac, whether the finished product resembles the rendering in any way is anyone's guess. That rendering of the R Street lofts is from a few years back--a different contractor (local CFY Development) has taken up that contract and we'll see what they do with it--so far I haven't seen a rendering, but the concept is supposed to be working "artist's lofts" and design studios. The project at 16th and O was limited by what could be privately financed, and they figured they would rather have a built, completed project than a spiffy rendering with a hole in the ground. Often a project budget limits the architecture more than anything else--maybe local architects should lower their rates?

[rampant_jwalker]

Nice design for Bridge housing! The developers of the Bridge district are bringing a fresh contemporary aesthetic to everything from their marketing materials to the architecture. It's so reassuring when the developers who are in a position to transform the West Sacramento riverfront are already demonstrating quality taste in design.

Wburg, do you really think that architects should lower their rates or are you joking? Usually the architect's fee is around 8% of construction cost, but that fee is distributed to all the engineers and consultants working with the architect. As it is, the architects who design these projects make less than the carpenters who nail together the framing and the laborers who install the drywall. Labor costs are the real reason why it's so hard to build unique urban infill housing in this country. I have a feeling that pretty soon architects, the people who's ideas are at stake, are going to wise up and start developing their own projects for profit, and doing some of the simple labor themselves.

[wburg]

Renderings are the Myspace angle (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=myspace%20angle) of the architecture world. It's easy to make a fairly cruddy building look cool with a suitably angled rendering, and applying a texture to a 3-D mockup is a lot easier than making it look good in the real world. Over the past five or so years of reading this forum, I see a lot of projects that start out with people vigorously enthusing over some rendering, then a peak of excitement during construction, followed by a wave of disappointment when the project actually gets built and it never looks as cool as the mockup with vibrantly mixed-use clip art pedestrians pasted in.

[Pistola916]

^
that's true. I really liked the design of Sutter's Women and Children Center but now, seeing the facade and material of the building, it looks bland. I was expecting a shiny glass structure.

I expect the new arena - if and when it opens - to be somewhat the same. The actual design is going to look different from the artist rendering but I guess most projects are.

[downtownserg89]

Renderings are the Myspace angle (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=myspace%20angle) of the architecture world.


:haha: nobody could have said it better.

Have you guys seen the progress on the La Valentina Station housing project?
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/20703-sw_photo_montage-after.jpg

it actually looks REALLY cool. Looks just like the rendering. I went ahead and had a little photoshoot this evening. Enjoy!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5088.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5038.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5058.jpg

The other housing project across the street

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5061.jpg

both of them!

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5071.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5079.jpg
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5078.jpg

also, this has been up for a couple of months now. Hope something cool gets built there

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/IMG_5091.jpg

[Mr. Ozo]

Wow that does look cool, at first I thought you posting something from another city like Portland.

[wburg]

We are a city like Portland, but with palm trees!

[ThatDarnSacramentan]

We are a city like Portland, but with palm trees!

As someone who goes to school in Portland (and is fortunately home for Spring Break), I'd say we don't really have much in common with Portland. While I think Portland is the better city, I'd still take Sacramento over it any day because I think Sacramento is a better place (if that makes any sense).

[wburg]

I suppose--we didn't start an urban growth boundary to limit the sprawl of suburbs and direct residential development back into the urban core, and we're more than a decade behind in starting a downtown streetcar line to turn a former industrial area into the most densely populated part of the city. I mention it because a band from Portland I met last year described Sacramento as "basically Portland with palm trees" and I liked the comparison.

[ThatDarnSacramentan]

At the very least, we aren't stuck with their terrible climate. When it was 68 and sunny this afternoon, it was 38 and raining up there. My allergies may have returned, but if they're the price to pay for not dealing with snow showers at the end of March, so be it.

[CAGeoNerd]

Wow, I haven't been to that part of town in a while, as I obviously had no idea all of that was being built up there along 12th. Looks really nice, right next to the light rail. Reminds me of some stuff I've seen in other places, glad to see stuff like this going up in Sac, and hopefully we'll see lots more start to go up soon with a new arena being the catalyst for developers in the area! :tup:

[CAGeoNerd]

At the very least, we aren't stuck with their terrible climate. When it was 68 and sunny this afternoon, it was 38 and raining up there. My allergies may have returned, but if they're the price to pay for not dealing with snow showers at the end of March, so be it.

Yes, but I'm sure they say the same thing about us when it's 100+ and smoggy in the middle of August. I wouldn't trade it though. I lived up on the North Coast for a while and that was enough rain for me - I can't imagine living with even more rain and even less sunshine!

[ozone]

As someone who goes to school in Portland (and is fortunately home for Spring Break), I'd say we don't really have much in common with Portland. While I think Portland is the better city, I'd still take Sacramento over it any day because I think Sacramento is a better place (if that makes any sense).

That doesn't really make any sense -to me. Unless you are talking about the weather. On a superficial level parts of Midtown/Downtown feel a bit Portlandia but as a whole the city does not. A lot of Sacramento looks like more Fresno, Modesto, San Jose and the San Fernando Valley. Even East Sac and Land Park, as nice as they are, could be in dozens of other California cities. The only place with any unique character is Midtown/Downtown. People's perception of Sacramento often depends on which area they are most familiar with.

[ozone]

@ downtownserg89 you're right it looks almost like the rendering (and it's not finished yet) but wburg is right too because it many cases the finished product doesn't. I really like the design. It's what is needed in the neighborhood which has the potential to become the trendiest neighborhood in the city - no joke.

[downtownserg89]

I really like the design. It's what is needed in the neighborhood which has the potential to become the trendiest neighborhood in the city - no joke.


I totally agree. "The Flats" have severe potential to become a new hot-spot in downtown, if done correctly. These housing projects should open everyone's eyes and attract new attention to this neighborhood's new identity. There is a vacant lot directly across from the La Valentina Station project, and I have a feeling it will be next on the list. (it better be! that damn lot is a serious eyesore.) Once these housing projects are completed, and tenants start moving in, they'll need nearby places to eat, shop, and lurk. The NW corner of 12th and E could accomodate a small neighborhood grocery store, or another housing project with ground level restaurants. It would be cool if people would see the Alkali Flat Lightrail station as a destination to get off and hang out.

"Where are we going tonight? Should we hit up Midtown, K street, R street or The Flats?" :cheers:

[downtownserg89]

Decided I'd put a little something together.

This corner sits unoccupied, and I have a feeling a trashy corner store will eventually open up. I think it could have a better use, and here is what I have in mind.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b149/dirtychimp182/cafeIDEA.jpg

I think the area will soon be capable to have businesses like this, and it would drastically change the vibe, attracting more people. (the right people!) I mean, don't see why not... :shrug:

[ozone]

:previous: I like it.

[Mr. Ozo]

I'm not sure the Alkali Flats/ Mansion Flats distinction really helps things. It's basically one neighborhood and in most people's mind's its Alkali Flats.

[ozone]

I'm not sure the Alkali Flats/ Mansion Flats distinction really helps things. It's basically one neighborhood and in most people's mind's its Alkali Flats.

And what a silly name it is. Being an historian, William B. will no doubt have the scoop on why it's called that. I'd be curious to know myself. But I'm all in favor of re-naming/re-branding the hood. How about the Old North End?

[wburg]

The neighborhood was named Alkali Flat because of the alkali dust found in that part of town, residue from when the American River used to wash over the neighborhood pretty regularly (until they moved the river farther north.) Traditionally I don't think it went much west of 12th Street, but I'm not sure where the name Mansion Flat came from. Probably due to its proximity to the Gallatin mansion (aka the governors mansion) and the other big manisons along H Street between 10th and 16th, sometimes called "Merchants' Row."

If Alkali Flat does become a popular neighborhood, expect the name to spread farther out. Nobody really called Midtown "Midtown" until about 20 years ago, and it was just roughly used to identify the eastern half of the central city to Business 80 and includes a number of neighborhoods with older names. Now businesses clearly outside that boundary are being marketed as Midtown properties, like the "Alexan Midtown" on the eastern side of Alhambra Boulevard!

[ozone]

Is there any evidence of this alkali residue today? And I am really surprised to read that they moved the American River.

I agree about Midtown. It's gotten of hand. To my ears a lot of those old neighborhood names are kind of lame so it's no surprise to me that people use a catch-all term. I think we could use breaking up Midtown and Downtown into smaller neighborhoods, creating boundaries, putting up signs - something like they've done in San Diego would be nice. I'd just come up with new names. Our historical neighborhood names are pathetic. I actually think doing such a thing would spur redevelopment. I've seen it happen elsewhere.

[wburg]

Pretty much every inch of Alkali Flat has been built on, so no, I don't think it's there anymore The mouth of the American River used to be just about where the I Street bridge is today, and the riverbank where John Sutter got off the boat to establish Sutter's Fort was just a bit north of the B Street Theater on 28th Street. Part of the big project to build levees, raise streets and otherwise protect the city from flooding included relocation of the American River. This was mostly done in the 1860s, but left us with a downtown swamp (China Slough aka Lake Sutter) until about 1910.

Neighborhood names tend to change over time--many came from nearby features, schools or parks (Southside Park, Winn Park, Marshall School, Richmond Grove) or were real estate developers' names for their projects (Boulevard Park, New Era Park.) Some names were acquired by tradition (like Alkali Flat and Poverty Ridge) and some attempts at "rebranding" failed miserably (efforts to rename Poverty Ridge "Sutter's Terrace" around a century ago, when it became a desirable spot for fancy homes, never stuck.) Adoption of the "Midtown" name didn't supersede any of the smaller neighborhood names, but served to provide a general identity for the eastern half of the central city and differentiate it from "downtown," and also adopted by the business community. But today, I hear plenty of people use "midtown" to describe the entire central city! It's not a replacement for those names but a catch-all; people used to call the central city "the old city," describing downtown as "the West End" (including Chinatown and Japantown) and what we'd now call Midtown as "the homes district." Before Southside Park was built, that area was sometimes called the "Arizona District."

Not sure if you have noticed them, but some central city neighborhoods do have signs like you describe (Boulevard Park, New Era Park) and think it would be a great idea to add more--it encourages neighborhood pride and tourism, and a neighborhood identity helps attract people to live in the neighborhood and be part of its community.

I'm not sure which neighborhood names you consider pathetic, but look at the bright side--we could be a city with cheesy suburban sounding neighborhood names like "Forest Hill" and "Sea Cliff," or lame country bumpkin sounding names like "Dogpatch" or "Cow Hollow"!

[ozone]

:previous: LOL you're right about those SF hood names. And I guess your'e right, some of our names are not so bad. Interesting stuff about the river.

I was San Francisco yesterday and heard that there's a new boom a'comin --there. What I do not understand is how Sacramento has so deftly managed not to capitalize on every modern SFBA boom cycle. I am not sure how we would do that- but it seems like we could.

[innov8]

10 Percent Cut for New Sacramento Courthouse

The Judicial Council has endorsed a cost-cutting direction for court construction
statewide, including the reassessment of 13 projects and further construction budget
trimming on 24 projects. The council approved recommendations from the Court
Facilities Working Group that are expected to yield significant, long-term savings
throughout the $5 billion program.

The New Sacramento Criminal Courthouse must reduce hard construction costs by a
minimum of 10 percent. Currently the proposed courthouse for Sacramento is estimated
to cost $437,516,000 million. A 10 percent cut will reduce costs by $43,751,600 million.
One recommendation made by the Judicial Council is that Sacramento reduces number
of courtrooms from 44 to 42 to reflect reduction of 2 new judgeships, pending fall 2012
Judicial Council action to adopt update to new judgeship requirements, in addition to
10% reduction. The new courthouse budget would now be $393,764,400 million with
a target to achieve low-cost construction methodologies.

Senate Bill 1407 was enacted in 2008 to authorize up to $5 billion in funding for new
and renovated courthouses using court fees, penalties, and assessments rather than
taxpayer revenues from the state’s General Fund. Since 2009, more than $1.1 billion in
funding originally designated for courthouse construction has been borrowed, swept to
the state’s General Fund, or redirected to court operations.

http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/jc-20120424-itemD.pdf

http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/oc12-Apr_24.pdf

[ozone]

Just by cutting out the expensive imported wood and stone for the judges chambers should to the trick. But it's likely that public spaces/design features will be cheapened instead.

[BOYCOTT 90210]

Can anyone find a picture of the project being built here? I can't find it. This is great for the area. I went to Christian Brothers HS and this corner is just a big paved lot. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/05/08/senior-housing-oak-park-project-sacramen.html

[rampant_jwalker]

Can anyone find a picture of the project being built here? I can't find it. This is great for the area. I went to Christian Brothers HS and this corner is just a big paved lot. http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/05/08/senior-housing-oak-park-project-sacramen.html

Thanks for sharing, this is great news! That area of Oak Park is really coming back to life. I did a little searching and found a small picture on the developer's "on the boards" website here: http://www.relatedcalifornia.com/ourcompany/businesses/29/On-the-Boards/ ...It's the third image with the orange clouds

[wburg]

Lots of interesting stuff going on in Oak Park these days--the Triangle is still technically on the books, and apparently the folks from Naked Lounge coffeehouse are going to open a restaurant and bakery in the old Primo's Swiss Club/Arata Bros. building next to the bank on 34th/35th and Broadway.

[kamehameha]

Two New Hotels Costing $100 Million Planned for Sacramento Airport
Posted on April 13, 2012 by CVadmin
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-11/two-new-hotels-costing-100-million-planned-for-airport.html
Sonnenblick Development LLC, which helped develop Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, will spend $100 million on two hotels at California’s Sacramento International Airport, the site’s first new lodging properties in 30 years.

The Los Angeles-based company won the contract to build the hotels, to be attached to the airport’s new Terminal B, according to Robert Sonnenblick, the company’s principal. Construction of a 225-room full-service hotel and a 150-room limited-service property will start in mid-2013, with an opening planned for the first quarter of 2015, he said.

Hotel development has been stagnant in California and across the U.S. because construction financing has been difficult to obtain, according to Sonnenblick. The Sacramento airport’s only hotel, a 150-room property from the mid-1970s, was demolished to make room for the new terminal, he said.

[kamehameha]

http://www.sonndev.com/2012/04/hotels-costing-100-million-planned-sacramento-airport/

[wburg]

Remember way back a long time ago when Sacramento was a place where trains and railroad equipment were built? Guess what--we never stopped!
Siemens lands $73 million sale of light-rail cars
Share
By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, May. 24, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 6B

Sacramento's Siemens manufacturing plant will build 18 of its S70 light-rail vehicles for TriMet in Portland, Ore., under a $73 million contract being announced today.

All manufacturing will be done at Siemens' facility on French Road in south Sacramento. That plant is powered in part by 2 megawatts of solar energy.

The first new rail cars are expected to be delivered in August 2014. The 18 vehicles were ordered as a part of the Portland-Milwaukie light-rail transit project, an extension of light rail over 7.3 miles, connecting key points in the Portland area. When it opens in September 2015, it will boost the overall light-rail system to 60 miles and 97 stations.

Michael Cahill, president of Siemens' Rail Systems Division, said the new contract will not prompt new hires locally. He said the existing workforce of about 800 will handle the work.

"It's a tough economy, and we're thankful for what we can get," he said. "We've been fortunate in getting a couple of contracts."

Almost exactly one year ago, Siemens announced that the Sacramento plant would build four new streetcars for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, part of a $17.2 million contract. The first car under that contract is expected to be delivered in September this year.

In April 2011, Siemens announced it would make 19 light-rail cars as part of an $83 million contract awarded by Houston METRO.

In October 2010, the local plant announced the addition of 200 jobs as part of a $466 million contract to build electric locomotives for Amtrak's East Coast rail fleet.

On Wednesday, Cahill noted that sections of Portland already have benefited from rail transportation, and he's hopeful other U.S. cities will follow that lead.

"The renaissance of rail, as we like to call it, is happening in the United States," he said. "It's not happening quickly enough for us … It can rejuvenate a (downtown) area."

Portland's latest light-rail project is considered a key to development, with about 22,000 households and 85,000 employees within walking distance of the stations. A projected 25,000 trips will be taken on the new line each weekday by 2030.

"This fifth generation of MAX light-rail vehicles will include many improvements for riders and operators," said Dan Blocher, TriMet's executive director of capital projects. "We're excited to be working with Siemens on the MAX vehicles TriMet needs to operate the region's light-rail system …"

Siemens' S70 Type 5 vehicle for the Portland project has a maximum speed of 55 mph. Its low-floor design lets passengers board at street level.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/24/4512726/siemens-lands-73-million-sale.html#storylink=cpy

We're building light-rail trains, streetcars, and electric passenger locomotives, at a solar-powered facility. That's pretty cool.

[Web]

hmmmm where are the California Jobs keep leaving due to bad business climate people . Nevada doesnt seem to be growing as fast anymore is it.

[kamehameha]

This is our chance to build blocks after blocks of affordable high rise apartments a la Singapore or Manila. A golden opportunity for Sacramento to alter its skyline. Some reports says as many as 35,000 thousand units are needed for affordable housing.


Higher apartment demand makes good opportunity for developers, investors
Sacramento Business Journal Date: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 6:46am PDT - Last Modified: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 7:19am PDT

Related:Commercial Real Estate, Residential Real Estate, Sacramento, Four-county Sacramento region, Economic Snapshot, Davis, Elk Grove, Folsom, Orangevale Enlarge Image Increased demand for apartments in the Sacramento region has pushed vacancy rates down to 4.4 percent, the tightest market since 2002. Rates range from a low of 0.4 percent in Davis to 4.5 percent in Elk Grove.

Rising demand and restricted supply makes multifamily housing in the Sacramento region a good bet for investors and developers, says a new research report from commercial brokerage Marcus & Millichap Marcus & Millichap Latest from The Business Journals Happy days are here again for downtown apartment ownersDevelopers, investors eye higher apartment demandApartment demand creates investor competition Follow this company .

Rising employment levels means more families will be looking for homes, and many still cannot afford to purchase. But over the past four years, just 600 apartments have been added to the market — well below pre-recession averages, the report concluded. Though developers have begun planning multifamily projects, none are expected to open this year.


http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/news/2012/05/29/apartment-vacancies-rents-investor-oppor.html

[Pistola916]

High-rise residential not going to happen. More like four-five story apartment buildings.

[ozone]

kamehameha it seems likely that it will put pressure on the Railyards and certain other areas in around the central city but will do not have the economic pressures nor the culture to have skyline altering high-rise living ala Singapore in Sacramento. Too much urbanophobia here.

[wburg]

What is the average square footage of those units in Singapore or Manila?

[kamehameha]

I'll say about 60sq meters or roughly 570-575 sq feet.

[wburg]

The question is, are population densities like those found in Singapore found anywhere in the United States? If you're expecting Sacramento to turn into a hyper-dense Singapore-style megalopolis overnight, it seems like you're just setting yourself up for disappointment...those are densities that would make San Franciscans blanch!

[v.o.r.t.e.x]

High-rise residential not going to happen. More like four-five story apartment buildings.

four five is okay, i saw today project for 26/r street appts - 2 stories suburb style

[wburg]

I was at that groundbreaking. Calling them "suburb style" is a bit of a stretch--they're 2-3 story single-family homes, but separated by only a couple of feet, with no backyard to speak of, no driveway and only one parking garage space. There will be 36 of them in a little more than an acre, which is a density you don't find in suburban neighborhoods, but it's a common infill density in central city neighborhoods like Newton Booth.

The 4-5 story apartments are happening farther west--the CADA projects on 16th that are under construction, CFY's project for the CADA warehouse on 11th and R, etcetera. There's a ton of localized infill which are small projects individually but add up to a lot--and as we run out of infill projects, those bigger vacant areas close to the river will start drawing investor interest. In the Docks area off Front Street, the lot that used to be an old gas manufacturing plant and powerplant is being dug up right now--hopefully toxic remediation to be done in advance of riverfront development. The obstacle these days is financing, and there just isn't the private finance market for high-rise residential around these parts yet. They're still looking eastward at all that unsold suburban housing stock.

[ozone]

four five is okay, i saw today project for 26/r street appts - 2 stories suburb style

I agree with Mr. Burg. They're not single-family detached ranch houses. Even in much denser cities you can find new in-fill like this in neighborhoods away from their downtown core.

I have lived in a couple of high-rises before and enjoyed the experience, but I'm OK with having a variety of urban housing types to match different people's tastes and needs. But If I lived in a high-rise here in Sacramento I would probably not be awaken by loud drunks stumbling past my window at 2:00AM.

Obviously, they are not appropriate everywhere but I personally would rather see a few high-rises (12 floors or more) with a smaller footprint than whole a lot of bulky 4-7 story mid-rises.

High-rise apartments have advantages in urban areas because they can accommodate more inhabitants per unit of an area and they therefore decrease the cost of city infrastructure.

The difference between places like Singapore and here is that there the land prices are so high that almost the entire population lives in high-rise apartments. As Mr. Burg pointed out correctly we do not have the same situation here.

[kamehameha]

This huge apartment complex in West Sacramento's bridge district will break ground late summer 2012. The building is midrise with a total of 6 stories including two levels of parking.

http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/145/West%20Sacramento.html

[v.o.r.t.e.x]

Is 700 K street project dead? I dont hear much about this project about a year. Maybe this demand on rent appts can turn some developers money on k street

[ozone]

This huge apartment complex in West Sacramento's bridge district will break ground late summer 2012. The building is midrise with a total of 6 stories including two levels of parking.

http://www.dbarchitect.com/project_detail/145/West%20Sacramento.html

:tup:
Awesome to see the progress. Way to go WeSac! Isn't this the first housing project in the Bridge District? Even though it's across the river in West Sacramento I pretty much consider the Bridge District to be a part of Sacramento's central city. It's certainly more so than much of the City of Sacramento. It will be fun to watch the progress.

[CAGeoNerd]

Ah, I know exactly where that's going, it's across the street to your right when you take the So. River Road exit from Business 80 heading west. They're already putting in a park in the area directly southeast of where this housing will go. Looks like some prime homeless camping spots, but great to see that area getting developed. Now if they can manage to fill the rest of that area up with mid and high rises it will be a new destination! :tup:

[wburg]

Is 700 K street project dead? I dont hear much about this project about a year. Maybe this demand on rent appts can turn some developers money on k street

No, it's still alive. Because it was caught up in all the redevelopment hoopla there were complications, but it is still happening. The 800 block, on the other hand, that's another story.

[downtownserg89]

The 800 block, on the other hand, that's another story.

Do tell, burgy.

[ozone]

No, it's still alive. Because it was caught up in all the redevelopment hoopla there were complications, but it is still happening. The 800 block, on the other hand, that's another story.

I thought they were going to start this spring on the 700 block but I also heard that they were waiting for the Berry Hotel Condo project to finish up first. Doesn't Moe own the Hole on K @ 8th? If that's the case you can forget about it. It really interesting that Moe basically founded the Downtown Partnership and that they have done a horrible job of reviving downtown.

[wburg]

Hotel Berry Condo project? The Berry will be rentals, not condos, and they are supposed to open this month. And no, Mo doesn't own the 800 block anymore. It belonged to the redevelopment agency, which doesn't exist anymore, so the property technically belongs to the successor agency, the City of Sacrameto. The 800 block portion was supposed to be developed by David Taylor, CIM and Domus, but the money wasn't encumbered before the end of the deadline for redevelopment agencies prior to their dissolution. Taylor was also focused on the arena stuff, and asked for the money that had been set aside from the Sheraton sale, which was going to be put into the 800 block, to pay for a parking structure in conjunction with the arena (and I think some of it got spent on predevelopment costs.) So there is a plan for the 800 block but no money to pay for it unless a "substitute" for tax-increment style redevelopment is found. Some of the Sheraton money is still around, it is being transferred to a different account at this Thursday's council meeting, I'm not sure why--possibly to avoid having it included in funds that have to be paid to the state as backfill from the end of redevelopment agencies.

Theoretically that money is still around, but it isn't enough for the whole 800 block project by itself. Not sure if they could phase the project rather than building it all at once.

[ozone]

Really I thought the Hotel Berry was going to be condos. Oh well rentals make more sense.

[wburg]

I'm still crossing my fingers that the Kress Building will be condos someday...I'd buy the heck out of one.

[ozone]

I'm still crossing my fingers that the Kress Building will be condos someday...I'd buy the heck out of one.

They are slowly renovating it. I saw the other day where they have redone the entrance and so that is it more in keeping with the rest of the building -replacing those funky 70's rounded windows with a more square look. It's a beautiful building to be sure.

[Mr. Ozo]

http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/Profile.aspx?LID=17632561

Something seems to be going on at the Kress building, but it looks like it's going to be all offices, which would be a shame.

[wburg]

We'll see what happens with the new parking guidelines--if Council passes the recommendations being put forth, requirements for parking spaces for any project in the CBD is reduced to zero, which will make it easier to convert old buildings to residential use without providing parking (or building new buildings without providing parking) assuming that banks can be convinced to go along with the idea (real estate lenders are hesitant to provide funds for projects they feel are underparked.)

[CAGeoNerd]

Something seems to be going on at the Kress building, but it looks like it's going to be all offices, which would be a shame.

More office space? Now that's something Sacramento is in desperate need of! :rolleyes: :shrug:

[rampant_jwalker]

We'll see what happens with the new parking guidelines--if Council passes the recommendations being put forth, requirements for parking spaces for any project in the CBD is reduced to zero, which will make it easier to convert old buildings to residential use without providing parking (or building new buildings without providing parking) assuming that banks can be convinced to go along with the idea (real estate lenders are hesitant to provide funds for projects they feel are underparked.)

Do you know when the council will be voting on the parking guidelines? This is the first time I've heard about it.

[wburg]

It still has to go to Law & Legislation. Below are the staff report, executive summary and full report as presented to the Planning Commission:

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=29&clip_id=2968&meta_id=383453

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=29&clip_id=2968&meta_id=383454

http://sacramento.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=29&clip_id=2968&meta_id=383455

It's fairly comprehensive, the changes aren't just to the CBD but citywide, with several new categories based on parts of town--CBD is basically I to Q Street east to 16th, "urban" is along business corridors like J Street, Folsom Blvd, Stockton Blvd, Broadway and north along I-5, "traditional" in older neighborhoods like Midtown, East Sacramento and Land Park, and "suburban" for postwar auto suburb neighborhoods like the Pocket and Natomas.

And yeah, I'm hoping that the surplus of office space, combined with some opportunities to convert some commercial buildings to residential (with no parking requirements) in the new parking code, will encourage some developers to do more residential infill in former office properties downtown. Los Angeles introduced a similar ordinance in 2000 and tripled the population of their downtown by turning mostly-vacant office buildings into condos.

[rampant_jwalker]

Thanks for the info wburg! Can't wait to see what happens when the new policies go up for council approval in September. After reading the recommendations in the report, I'm blown away. This could open doors in a big way for privately funded downtown and midtown development. No redevelopment agencies required! :banana:

[CAGeoNerd]

And yeah, I'm hoping that the surplus of office space, combined with some opportunities to convert some commercial buildings to residential (with no parking requirements) in the new parking code, will encourage some developers to do more residential infill in former office properties downtown. Los Angeles introduced a similar ordinance in 2000 and tripled the population of their downtown by turning mostly-vacant office buildings into condos.

^This. City governments and planners need to start realizing that to have a successful downtown/urban core you have to have people who live there. I recently spent a Sunday afternoon in downtown Stockton. Makes Sacramento's downtown look bustling by comparison. It was a ghost town. Why? No one lives in their downtown. Fresno is another good example. It's sad because just like Sacramento, these cities rose from the ground in the first half of the 20th century and gave us some really neat buildings and the high population density which kept those downtowns thriving as the places to be. The flight to suburbia is what has killed all of these downtown areas, and governments and planners have done nothing to acknowledge or help this. Thankfully lots of places are coming to this realization, including Sacramento (though it seems like it's being dragged kicking and screaming...)

[wburg]

Most of the city staff I know are already convinced--it's the private sector that needs more serious convincing. The generation of city planners that were raised with the idea that nobody should ever live downtown have pretty much retired.

[ltsmotorsport]

^This. City governments and planners need to start realizing that to have a successful downtown/urban core you have to have people who live there. I recently spent a Sunday afternoon in downtown Stockton. Makes Sacramento's downtown look bustling by comparison. It was a ghost town. Why? No one lives in their downtown. Fresno is another good example. It's sad because just like Sacramento, these cities rose from the ground in the first half of the 20th century and gave us some really neat buildings and the high population density which kept those downtowns thriving as the places to be. The flight to suburbia is what has killed all of these downtown areas, and governments and planners have done nothing to acknowledge or help this. Thankfully lots of places are coming to this realization, including Sacramento (though it seems like it's being dragged kicking and screaming...)

Fresno is headed in the same direction as Sacramento. Their newly adopted general plan is very similar with emphasis on corridor development and less on sprawl. They also used new modeling technology to convince their conservative council members to adopt the most progressive alternative. Planning is definitely getting better as wburg alluded to.

[wburg]

The other folks who will need convincing are the adjacent counties who are still very much in love with suburban sprawl--to the point where El Dorado County is claiming smart growth and infill is part of a United Nations plot!

[ozone]

The other folks who will need convincing are the adjacent counties who are still very much in love with suburban sprawl--to the point where El Dorado County is claiming smart growth and infill is part of a United Nations plot!

This is true. The lower Placer and El Dorado spurb is the Nor Cal equivalent of Orange County circa. 1980's -sans the beaches and Mickey Mouse.

I think a difference between Fresno and here is that Fresno's suburbs are not as large, independent or wealthy as ours. El Dorado Hills/Granite Bay is in the top wealthiest communities in the country -a fact that is not so well-known outside of Sacramento.

As a side note it's interesting just how many downtown Sacramento properties are owned by residents of Placer and El Dorado counties. Could this explain some things?

[ozone]

Most of the city staff I know are already convinced--it's the private sector that needs more serious convincing. The generation of city planners that were raised with the idea that nobody should ever live downtown have pretty much retired.

One good thing about aging.

[ltsmotorsport]

The other folks who will need convincing are the adjacent counties who are still very much in love with suburban sprawl--to the point where El Dorado County is claiming smart growth and infill is part of a United Nations plot!

Don't get me started on the Agenda 21 lunacy.

And speaking to the surrounding counties, I know Fresno is very concerned with what Madera County is planning just across the river from them.

Placer, Sutter, and El Dorado Counties aren't very forward thinking in controlling sprawl either. On the crazy train to OC-north.

[v.o.r.t.e.x]

One good thing about aging.

but still here in sacramento A LOT of narrow-minded people who cant live without car and think that walking on the streets is not normal, i dont know when sac built all these appts and condos who will live in them?

[wburg]

I tried out the new "Green Line" light rail line to Richards Boulevard yesterday. Not sure if there are plans for the lot, but the warehouse across the street on the northeast corner of 7th and Richards is currently being demolished--didn't see any signs for what it is going to be yet (the new CHP offices?) but wonder if the opening of the Green Line and plans for the first phase of T9 are in any way connected. A block up at 5th and Richards, I also saw a sign advertising upcoming leases for an upcoming project called "500 Richards":

http://500richards.com/

Don't know much about it, but a friend mentioned it as being something like the MARRS project, with multiple retail spaces in a rehabbed urban warehouse.

The current Green Line is basically running like a streetcar--just a single LRV shuttling back and forth between 13th and Richards. The station is interesting but kind of stark and barren, the only structure there is the former scalehouse for Bercut-Richards moved to a new site next to the terminal. The line passes right through the Railyards, with some great views of the Shops buildings from a distance--it passes under the UP right-of-way so you can't really see work on the new track alignment but it is almost complete. I think the plan will eventually include a stop in the Railyards proper on 7th, once there is something to stop at. Work is being done on the exterior of the building at 7th and H, and exterior work on the SHRA building at 7th and I appears almost complete.

[CAGeoNerd]

Has anyone seen the townhouses going up at 21st and T lately? They're still going up, slowly buy surely, and will be a neat little block once it's all up. Drove by today and there are three in the process of construction, and they looked to be flattening out other areas for construction as well. Eager to see it completed.

[Web]

I tried out the new "Green Line" light rail line to Richards Boulevard yesterday. Not sure if there are plans for the lot, but the warehouse across the street on the northeast corner of 7th and Richards is currently being demolished--didn't see any signs for what it is going to be yet (the new CHP offices?) but wonder if the opening of the Green Line and plans for the first phase of T9 are in any way connected. A block up at 5th and Richards, I also saw a sign advertising upcoming leases for an upcoming project called "500 Richards":

http://500richards.com/

Don't know much about it, but a friend mentioned it as being something like the MARRS project, with multiple retail spaces in a rehabbed urban warehouse.

The current Green Line is basically running like a streetcar--just a single LRV shuttling back and forth between 13th and Richards. The station is interesting but kind of stark and barren, the only structure there is the former scalehouse for Bercut-Richards moved to a new site next to the terminal. The line passes right through the Railyards, with some great views of the Shops buildings from a distance--it passes under the UP right-of-way so you can't really see work on the new track alignment but it is almost complete. I think the plan will eventually include a stop in the Railyards proper on 7th, once there is something to stop at. Work is being done on the exterior of the building at 7th and H, and exterior work on the SHRA building at 7th and I appears almost complete.

CHP has a couple buildings behind that.....

[202_Cyclist]

Sacramento Eyes a Baseball Team

By Joel Millman
Wall Street Journal
7/9/2012

"California's capital is warming up to make a pitch for the Oakland Athletics.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said Monday he would begin an "exploratory effort" to offer his city as an option for the Major League Baseball team, which for three years has been talking with San Jose about moving there.

"Sacramento is a Major League city," said Mr. Johnson, a former professional basketball star. "I learned a long time ago that if you don't take a shot, you can't score..."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303292204577517213859745148.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

[ThatDarnSacramentan]

:previous:

And the A's promptly said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

[LandofFrost]

New Korean BBQ place has opened in a long abandoned gas station on Alhambra.
http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee403/landoffrost/Alhambra.jpg

[BillSimmons]

R Street Lofts Project seems to actually be getting underway

http://www.sacbee.com/2012/07/12/4625417/rstreet-lofts-project.html

[ozone]

We are seeing a lot of on-hold projects in San Francisco and elsewhere start to come back to life. What are the chances that might happen in Sacramento? It would be great to see The Towers resurrected -even if they were scaled down a bit.

[goldcntry]

Until Sactown's office vacancy tightens up, I wouldn't hold out any hopes major developments of the high-rise nature in the CBD... I think it was either Wburg or Econoghost that posted some recent vacancy figures of around 35%, but my mind may be wandering as well...
:tomato:

[ozone]

Until Sactown's office vacancy tightens up, I wouldn't hold out any hopes major developments of the high-rise nature in the CBD... I think it was either Wburg or Econoghost that posted some recent vacancy figures of around 35%, but my mind may be wandering as well...
:tomato:

Those vacancy rate stats are misleading because they are typically the regional or city-wide vacancy figures and not the Downtown-Midtown sub-market which is considerably lower.

[wburg]

Wasn't me...and vacancy rates in Midtown are somewhere closer to 5% these days, not sure about the Downtown figures. Most of the "vacant" buildings downtown are vacant because the owners are sitting on the properties hoping for it to be 2006 again, like the 1000-1100 block of J Street (Metropolitan and Cathedral Square) or SHRA-owned properties that didn't make it under the wire for redevelopment projects. I'm just hoping that someone tries converting a few of the vacant office-zoned properties downtown into residential condos--the Kress Building is being rehabbed, but as office condos rather than residential.

[ltsmotorsport]

After the "ground breaking" a few weeks back, I've finally seen some more stirrings at the 2500R project site the past few mornings.

http://www.2500rmidtown.com/

[innov8]

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/5256/16powerhouse.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/836/16powerhouse.jpg/)

16 Powerhouse

16 Powerhouse is an improved new design for the East End Gateway Site 4
directly across from Fremont Park off 16th Street between P St & Powerhouse Alley.
This project has a proposed construction date for spring 2013, thus far, no
info has been released stating how much it will cost or if the same developer
who made the original design is also behind this proposal.

16 Powerhouse also has a Facebook page here (https://www.facebook.com/16Powerhouse).

This is what was originally proposed for the site by CADA (http://www.cadanet.org/project/east-end-gateway-site-4/).

http://livinginurbansac.blogspot.com/

[ozone]

This looks great. Has it been approved?

[Pistola916]

Sweet design! I approve!

[CAGeoNerd]

Perfect location to put something new up. Perfect size building to put there too. Along with the new ones going up a couple blocks north, 16th street will have quite a different feel to it around there! :tup:

[Jay916]

This place is dead as %#$( now. :(

[rampant_jwalker]

http://assets.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/township9_rendering_111612.jpg?v=1

There isn't a whole lot of construction happening in town nowadays, but here's a bit of good news:

"Township 9 construction begins next month
First structure on the site will be an affordable-housing apartment complex"

180 units with structured parking near the new lightrail station.

Here's the full article: http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/print-edition/2012/11/16/township-9-construction-start-next-month.html

[innov8]

Contact: Teresa Ruano, 415-865-7738
December 13, 2012

Four More Courthouse Projects May Be Delayed
http://www.courts.ca.gov/20171.htm

Judicial oversight committee makes recommendations because of potential
loss of funds designated for court construction.

SAN FRANCISCO—The Court Facilities Working Group voted today to
recommend that four additional courthouse construction projects in
Sacramento, Los Angeles, Fresno, and Nevada City be delayed indefinitely
if the Legislature directs that court construction funds be used to finance
the Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse in Long Beach.

The recommendations—which Justice Hill hopes will go before the Judicial
Council in January 2013—include: a new criminal courthouse for downtown
Sacramento, a replacement for the overburdened courthouse in Huntington
Park for the Southeast Court District in Los Angeles, and renovation projects
planned for downtown courthouses in Fresno and Nevada City. The draft
recommendations include a special direction for the Sacramento project: a
recommendation that site acquisition proceed for that project, a $10 million
commitment to the developer of the Railyards that would allow the project
to proceed as planned when funding becomes available.

During the meeting, courts whose projects were slated for deferral gave
presentations and answered questions from the working group. Using the
same process that ultimately delayed seven projects last fall, the working
group will post the draft recommendations (http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/CFWG-121312.pdf)on the California Courts website (http://www.courts.ca.gov/policyadmin-invitationstocomment.htm)
for two weeks for public comment, then submit finalized recommendations
to the Judicial Council for review early next year.

Sacramento - New Sacramento Criminal Courthouse - Draft Recommendations: Indefinitely delay, but move forward on site acquisition. http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/CFWG-121312.pdf

[ozone]

Having nothing to do with the courts I don't know if a new Sac Co. courthouse is really warranted. Of course, I'd like to see new construction and jobs created but I don't see courthouses as really enlivening a neighborhood. So I guess I really don't care that much. I mean it's not like it's going to have some spectacular game-changing design. And If a new courthouse is built what would happen to the old one?