Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III [Archive] - Page 38

innov8

Nov 27, 2008, 5:10 AM

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1329/mckinleyvillageprojectcy5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

McKinley Village Project

A notice of preparation for an EIR has been filed for the McKinley Village
Project in east Sacramento. The proposed project includes the development
of up to 405 residential units with an intimate urban parks and common
greens; a village green with a community clubhouse, pool and formal
gardens; and a mixed use residential and commercial building. Also, plans for
a church and a community hall fronting the westerly neighborhood park.
As currently proposed, the residential component consists of approximately
369 single-family detached homes and approximately 28 live/work residential
units located above ground-floor commercial space. The number of units
may be increased by up to 8 units for a total of 405.

The project site currently has access via a two-lane overpass across
Business 80 from the west that connects to the downtown grid system at
28th and A Streets. Additional access is also planned from the east at
Lanatt Way by connecting to Elvas Avenue and C Street through the
future construction of a railroad undercrossing.

The development history of this projects site goes back over twenty years.
Back in the late 80's early 90's the proposed Centrage project caused a big
stir with over 1200 housing units in two 16 story towers, 1 million sf of office
space in two 20 story towers, 230,000 sf of retail space and anchored by a
16 story tower 450 room hotel.

Majin

Nov 27, 2008, 8:50 AM

eh sounds like a suburb to me bring back the 20 story towers

innov8

Nov 27, 2008, 4:58 PM

I wish. Here's a list of the current east Sac community groups who will
most likely try to stop the proposal.

- Walk Sacramento
- East Sacramento/Alhambra Corridor Neighborhood Association
- Sacramento Old City Association
- Boulevard Park Neighborhood Association
- Winn Park/Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Association
- East Sacramento Chamber of Commerce
- McKinley East Sacramento Neighborhood Association
- East Sacramento Improvement Association
- New Era Park Neighborhood Association
- Friends of the Alhambra Corridor
- Newton Booth Neighborhood Association
- Marshall School Neighborhood Association
- East Sacramento Preservation Task Force

wburg

Nov 27, 2008, 8:12 PM

About half of those groups aren't in East Sacramento.

innov8

Nov 28, 2008, 5:54 AM

wburg

Nov 28, 2008, 5:50 PM

Being that they all wanted to be notified that a Walgreens is being proposed
for Alhambra & L Street and 500 people signed a petition opposing it, I’m certain
they will be involved in McKinley Village project.

They still aren't East Sacramento organizations, and it's not too hard to get 500 people to sign a petition for just about anything. And I don't consider wanting to be notified about development projects to be a bad thing: just about everyone here likes hearing about new development projects, whether we like them or not.

tronblue

Nov 29, 2008, 2:26 AM

What is the advantage of living wedged in between a major freeway and a train line on land that seems to be something of a marsh in parts for much of the year. Turn it into a park and leave it at that.

innov8

Nov 29, 2008, 3:34 AM

They still aren't East Sacramento organizations, and it's not too hard to get 500 people to sign a petition for just about anything. And I don't consider wanting to be notified about development projects to be a bad thing: just about everyone here likes hearing about new development projects, whether we like them or not.

Okay, 8 out of 13 are IN east Sac :rolleyes: My point is that it's if it doe's
get approved, it will be a miracle because of all the opposition... worse than
what Centrage had to deal with. Sorry if I pointed out the obvious with you're
preservationist friends.

What is the advantage of living wedged in between a major freeway and a train line on land that seems to be something of a marsh in parts for much of the year. Turn it into a park and leave it at that.

I bet for some it would be kinda like living in a gated community with very
little traffic, although the sound of the freeway and trains going by and being
surrounded by levees would make the sound of traffic in a bowl would be even
louder. I don't see it as an attractive place to live either.

wburg

Nov 29, 2008, 4:56 AM

Majin appears unimpressed with this development, tronblue doesn't see the point, and innov8 doesn't really seem to like it either. If the opinions here (with users generally varying from "pro-development" to "utterly pro-development") are, at best, tepid about this project, who exactly (besides the folks who own the land) is actually in favor of this project?

Rather than theorize about who will or won't oppose it, let's talk about the project itself. On one hand, it's an undeveloped plot of land, very close to the central city, adjacent to desirable neighborhoods like East Sacramento and River Park. It's an infill project, one that doesn't require the demolition of any historic buildings or the clearing out of any toxic waste. The neighborhood will be designed by award-winning and acclaimed urban planner Peter Calthorpe.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, it is wedged between a freeway and, not just the railroad tracks, but a three-way "wye" where trains generally have to stop (noisy) before proceeding. It is also the proposed right-of-way for the California high-speed rail system, which probably won't arrive anytime soon, but it's another loud thing that will eventually be nearby. The view across the freeway is the city dump. There is talk of turning the dump into a giant park someday, but currently the rotting garbage in the dump produces so much methane that it is used to generate electricity for the Blue Diamond almond factory. It will probably be a dump for a long time. It's close to downtown, but public transit will most likely be a single bus line. And since the target market for today's single-family detached homes is generally not the folks who ride the bus to work, it's a safe bet that most of those 400+ houses will have at least one car, that will come and go from one of two street access points. That target market (the relatively wealthy) already has a lot of options, including a lot of neighborhoods within 10-15 minutes of downtown that aren't next to the train tracks or a dump. Finally, while Peter Calthorpe's plans are award-winning, the execution of his projects (like Laguna West) often doesn't come out working, or even looking, like his lofty plans.

innov8

Nov 29, 2008, 5:04 AM

I would not live there, I did not say I don't like it berg. It was mentioned on
a blog somewhere that it should be a place where central-city industry can
locate... I think that's also a great idea.

BrianSac

Nov 29, 2008, 7:56 AM

How about some type of entertainment facility with a bowling alley. Miniature golf, batting cages, indoor shooting range, and a dog park.

How about a 30 screen cineplex with giant neon signs flashing the times of the movies. The nimbys would love that.

The city should take it by eminent domain and then build an ADA compliant community garden and medicinal marijuana pot farm. (just kidding)

econgrad

Nov 29, 2008, 9:44 AM

daverave

Dec 1, 2008, 5:50 PM

The McKinley Village project has a number of serious development issues. To call it infill is somewhat disingenuous as infill typically implies that there are already existing infrastructure improvements (storm drainage, sewer, roads, etc. etc.) The developers propose to tie into the already overburdened CSS that runs through East Sac and that frequently causes flooding in heavy rain events.

The reason that there are neighborhood groups other than those in East Sac involved is because one of the two proposed vehicular access points will be 28th Street (next to the B Street theater) where it crosses the RR tracks on its way to the old dump. That suggests a lot of additional traffic for that portion of midtown. The second access will be a new undercrossing of the RR tracks to access Elvas Avenue. That will breach a secondary flood protection levee. The developers do not want to provide a freeway interchange for obvious reasons. There will NOT be any transit serving this location. All of the units are multi-story single family and have at least two car garages. Many will have three car garages. Of course the developer claims "sustainability" and has included tankless water heaters to demonstrate that. Woo hoo! There will be no multi-family and no single story units for seniors. There will be no useful retail, just a handful of the generally useless "live-work" spaces that developers utilize to demonstrate "mixed use" credentials to the City. Virtually all of the new residents will be driving to East Sac or midtown to get all services, a cup of coffee or a quart of milk.

There are typically about 50 trains a day through the Elvas wye as it is a critical component of UP's western train system. (Note how quickly they repaired that trestle after it burned.) I am surprised that UP is cooperating with the developers as I could see people that paid a half million for their slice of "East Sac" someday expecting to control train traffic hours, like people that complain about air traffic after buying a house near an airport. The developers plan to mitigate by dense planting of conifers. I would not want to raise a family in this bowl of diesel and auto pollution.

The East Sac neighborhood groups are not at this time opposed to the project as it is still being evaluated. Many are suggesting higher densities, perhaps with mid-rise condo structures, freeway access, limited vehicular access to existing neighborhoods, larger buffers between the highway and RR, much more neighborhood retail. There has already been a review and comment session with the Planning Commission and these suggestions were brought up by neighborhood reps.

The project site also includes 10 acres or so for moving the Greek Orthodox Church from its location on McK Park. It will seat 600 and include educational facilities and a 150 person outdoor amphitheater. Pleasant spot for that. :yuck: There is a already a development application for the church site. The speculation is that the existing Greek church will be demolished and that there will be a mid-rise condo project built there overlooking the park.

All you need to know is that the behind the scenes players here are AKT Development and Phil Angelides. I don't see this City Council denying those two anything they want. It's the economics that don't make a lot of sense. Why pay a half million for a treeless zero lot line townhouse with no yard and constant noise and pollution when you could get yourself a great place in midtown or East Sac for the same or better price? :koko: IMHO, this is merely a purely suburban project shoehorned into an urban location. I don't see this penciling out in the current real estate market for a long, long time. But I am often wrong. :yes:

http://www.mckinleyvillage.net/index.html

daverave

Dec 1, 2008, 6:10 PM

Being that they all wanted to be notified that a Walgreens is being proposed
for Alhambra & L Street and 500 people signed a petition opposing it, I’m certain
they will be involved in McKinley Village project.

The neighborhood groups were successful in forcing the Walgreens developers to provide windows on Alhambra instead of blank walls and to provide access to the building from the street, not just their internal parking lots. It was a terrible design previously. I'd much rather have a Mexican restaurant and a venerable Chinese eatery there than yet another 24 hour drug store. The Planning Comm must have agreed because the development application was denied last week. It will likely be taken to CC.

wburg

Dec 1, 2008, 7:40 PM

Great information, daverave, and welcome to the forum!

I imagine UP isn't too thrilled about increased traffic at the grade crossing at 28th and B. The levee punch-throughs are definitely an area of concern for the neighborhoods behind that levee. And yes, this neighborhood will get slapped with all the standard "hot" buzzwords: they'll sell it as a green-built eco-friendly transit-oriented mixed-use development, designed for the "creative class" around pedestrian villages with walkable neighborhoods and sustainable development practices, but it will basically be a fairly generic block of tract homes.Think of the non-dramatic view from the freeway--oh boy, another 400 beige-and-taupe stucco boxes!

Personally I think the lot would be a great place for an expanded Sacramento Zoo, as long as we're throwing out theoretical ideas.

daverave

Dec 1, 2008, 8:32 PM

Personally I think the lot would be a great place for an expanded Sacramento Zoo, as long as we're throwing out theoretical ideas.

As you probably know, the zoo folks are pushing to relocate the zoo on the far side of the Sutter's Landing Park area. I doubt the zoo docents will want to subject animals to the noise and pollution of the MV site... that's only suitable for homo sapiens apparently. :rolleyes:
They also want to leave at least the possibility of a freeway interchange there to serve both sides of the highway. The neighborhoods might actually support that if it meant less of a vehicular connection to existing residential fabric. However, Steve Cohn and veterans of the Centrage fight are concerned that a freeway interchange at that location will virtually assure a future I-5, Richards Blvd., Elvas Avenue to highway 50 by-pass with attendant negative impacts to East Sac. Of course that assumes that we can and want to continue to base development patterns on what's best for the automobile.

Majin

Dec 1, 2008, 9:35 PM

The developers do not want to provide a freeway interchange for obvious reasons. There will NOT be any transit serving this location. All of the units are multi-story single family and have at least two car garages. Many will have three car garages. Of course the developer claims "sustainability" and has included tankless water heaters to demonstrate that. Woo hoo! There will be no multi-family and no single story units for seniors. There will be no useful retail, just a handful of the generally useless "live-work" spaces that developers utilize to demonstrate "mixed use" credentials to the City. Virtually all of the new residents will be driving to East Sac or midtown to get all services, a cup of coffee or a quart of milk.

Are you kidding? Ass. Absolute ass. So they are basically proposing to put a mini-elk grove in the middle of the city?

Yeah ok, get the fuck out of here of that shit :rolleyes:

As is the project doesn't have a prayer, thankfully so.

Thanks for the heads up daverave and welcome to the forum :cheers:

tronblue

Dec 4, 2008, 11:43 PM

It wasn't long ago when there was still that small grove of trees to the east. And when the grass grew long in spring they would bring out sheep and let them graze there. The black berry bushes can also be rather productive. Yea yea, there is no room for the pastoral in an urban local. If they want to be green or claim sustainability, than maybe by applying some creative Ag ideas. they might be able to create something that many people in the city can be a part of. Like a major community garden. Something unique to put a spot on the city. I would love to harvest beats among diesel and carbon pollution. At current the best housing there seems to be torn tents and weathered homeless encampments. Maybe a velodrome for Cyclers.

wburg

Dec 5, 2008, 12:53 AM

A vastly expanded "Soil Born Farms" urban farm location might be a worthwhile idea...we know the spot is good for the site, considering its last use was as an orchard.

Surefiresacto

Dec 7, 2008, 11:18 PM

As you probably know, the zoo folks are pushing to relocate the zoo on the far side of the Sutter's Landing Park area. I doubt the zoo docents will want to subject animals to the noise and pollution of the MV site... that's only suitable for homo sapiens apparently. :rolleyes:
They also want to leave at least the possibility of a freeway interchange there to serve both sides of the highway. The neighborhoods might actually support that if it meant less of a vehicular connection to existing residential fabric. However, Steve Cohn and veterans of the Centrage fight are concerned that a freeway interchange at that location will virtually assure a future I-5, Richards Blvd., Elvas Avenue to highway 50 by-pass with attendant negative impacts to East Sac. Of course that assumes that we can and want to continue to base development patterns on what's best for the automobile.

Is there any other info regarding a possible zoo relocation? It would be cool if they involved it in the Cal Expo redesign. There's a ton of room out there.

daverave

Dec 7, 2008, 11:35 PM

A vastly expanded "Soil Born Farms" urban farm location might be a worthwhile idea...we know the spot is good for the site, considering its last use was as an orchard.

Given it's ag history and proximity to railroad, freeway and municipal dump, I wonder if an organic farm would be interested. I've got to think that there is some funk in the dirt there. BTW, if anyone's ever played golf at Emerald Lakes down Hwy 99 in EG, that's what the aural experience will be like for residents at MV. Constant trains and traffic noise, hard to concentrate on your game!

goldcntry

Dec 9, 2008, 10:25 PM

We used to slip over the rail levy to pick the cherries and peaches that used to grow there... it hasn't effected us much... I hope... :tomato:

innov8

Dec 13, 2008, 5:59 PM

Sacramento Community Theater Renovation

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/2031/sacramentocommunitytheaqy4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The city is considering a partial renovation of the Community Theater at
$40 million. A feasibility study in 2007 put the cost to do the full renovation
at $75 million and was improbable. The new design is by Westlake Reed
Leskowsky Architects and would add 18,000sf to the theater as well as
changes to the exterior of the building. If the project is approved by the
Council, design work would start in fall 2009 with construction beginning in
2013 and completion in 2015. The project would be done in phases
scheduling around performing arts seasons (Sept. – May) with heavy
construction in the summer months while the theater is closed.

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/3331/sacramentocommunitytheapv2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

sugit

Dec 13, 2008, 8:52 PM

I love how they are getting ride of the huge set back on the L Street side and they are opening it up with some glass in the addition.

Now if we can get rid of the stupid name..."Community Center Theater" has always bugged me.

SactownTom

Dec 14, 2008, 12:47 AM

Now if we can get rid of the stupid name..."Community Center Theater" has always bugged me.

I wonder how much the naming rights would go for in this market? Enough to cover the $35 million shortfall for the total project cost? Would be worth exploring.

urban_encounter

Dec 14, 2008, 4:08 AM

ozone

Dec 14, 2008, 4:45 AM

That design sucks. I mean like really really boring, bland, and old fashioned suck! The "outdoorsy" women who screams out my window could do better.

ltsmotorsport

Dec 14, 2008, 5:40 AM

It's not bad, but Sacramento needs better. They just need to demo the current building and start fresh.

doriankage

Dec 14, 2008, 7:50 PM

By Mark Glover
Published: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 | Page 1D

The streets and skyline of Sacramento are peppered with building projects, but will economic woes cause fresh construction to dry up in 2009?

The answer varies, depending on whom you ask.

City development officials say Sacramento did well in the down year of 2008 and is poised to sustain momentum.

They point to the giant crane topping the 25-story Bank of the West Tower under construction at 500 Capitol Mall, the massive construction area for a $181 million replacement for the state's heating and cooling plant at 625 Q St. and an ongoing $85 million expansion of the Crocker Art Museum at 216 O St. as evidence of progress.

"We have a number of projects that are being completed and ones that were completed this year, literally millions of dollars of construction going on downtown this year," said Leslie Fritzsche, Sacramento's downtown development manager. "Our objective is to keep that going."

Local developer Mark Friedman is not as optimistic.

Friedman had some success downtown this year, selling 17 of his Sutter Brownstones, a 28-home complex on the 2600 block of N Street priced in the $400,000 range.

But he sees more of a struggle ahead.

"It's going to be a rocky road next year," he said. "Part of the problem is real estate projects have such a long development time frame. Much of what you've seen was already under construction or was put in the pipeline two or three years ago.

"I think what is more telling is what people have on the drawing board. … There's very little new in the pipeline right now."

The pipeline, though, is not empty yet.

Recently completed projects include the $130 million U.S. Bank Tower office building at 621 Capitol Mall, the Gold Rush era-styled Orleans Hotel at 1024 Second St., and the Cosmopolitan Cabaret dinner theater at 10th and K streets.

Next year, more projects are scheduled to move forward downtown.

According to city development statistics, projects completed in 2008 have a total value of $315.2 million, and projects slated for 2009 have a value of more than $350 million.

The city's 2009 list includes development of the Sacramento railyard and the first phase of an upgrade at Westfield Downtown Plaza.

Thomas Enterprises, the railyard developer, said construction crews will be on site in 2009. Surveyors, engineers and architects have been working there this year, mapping out plans for housing, offices and retail sites.

Downtown Plaza officials said Friday they expect mall owner Westfield Corp. to proceed with the first phase of a multimillion-dollar face-lift in 2009. The first stage includes a new dining terrace at the mall's east end and new lighting, flooring and landscaping.

However, developers and builders noted that a struggling economy and tight credit markets have a way of changing plans.

Developer John Saca's twin-tower downtown condominium project, one of the most ambitious plans the city has seen, made headlines in 2007 when it died for lack of funding. A fence surrounds the hole between Third and Fourth streets on Capitol Mall where foundation work on the project had begun.

The similarly grand Aura project just three blocks up on the mall also was unable to raise enough money to move forward.

In October, Target Corp. canceled plans to open a new outlet at Downtown Plaza. A Target spokeswoman said the downtown site was not a viable option in the "current economic and real estate environment."

Al Gianini, a Sacramento-area development consultant, echoed Friedman's concern that a lack of fresh deals will likely make for a tough 2009.

"On the commercial side … 2009 is going to be gut-check year for commercial development," he said. "I think residential is close to bottom, but the commercial side always lags. I would agree that nothing in the pipleline is consistent with everything I'm hearing and what I'm experiencing myself.

"Not a lot of loans for new deals are being made, so everyone I talk to is concerned about where the deals are going to come from in 2009. … That's not a downtown phenomenon but a common theme throughout the United States."

Even so, Friedman sees "some potential bright spots," including a strong regional health care industry with several major hospital projects in the works.

"In a strange way," Friedman added, "Sacramento's flood-control problems and the need to fix the levees might provide an opportunity. But the difficulty with public works projects is they take a long time to build."

Along that same line, Sacramento could benefit from President-elect Barack Obama's proposal to spend billions to rebuild the nation's infrastructure, including bridges, highways, tunnels and schools.

The Sacramento railyard development could benefit from state or federal funding. The California Department of Transportation wants to implement a $52 million plan to move railroad tracks in the railyard so that more development can occur.

And Friedman, who enthusiastically supported the campaign of Kevin Johnson, also believes the new mayor's aggressive pro-business approach could boost the city's fortunes.

The city's Fritzsche said 2009 could prove stronger than some think for Sacramento.

"There are many things going on. Even in this economy, I think 2009 could be close to what we're doing now," she said.

arod74

Dec 17, 2008, 5:37 AM

Hey innov8, do you have any idea how much refurb of the CCT interior this new plan will include. If I remember correctly interior upgrades were a pretty large part of the prior refurb plan. More bells and whistles would be great but if a modest renovation is the only way to make it happen then I am all for it. Anything to get rid of the 70's/Studio 54 lighting and lobby treatment...

sugit

Dec 17, 2008, 7:02 AM

Arod - Here is the staff report. Looks like improvement wouldn't start until Summer of 2013.

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/dsd/meetings/commissions/design/2008/documents/M08-046_StaffReport.pdf

For the 40M it looks like it would include:

Building Systems:
- HVAC Renovation and Replacement
- Electrical Renovation
- Fire Systems Upgrade

ADA Improvements:
- Seating reconfiguration for ADA access in front section
- Mobility Path
- ADA Restrooms
- Access to lobby from front section

House - Interior Seating Improvements
- New Seats
- ADA Accessible seats in multiple areas
- Cross Aisles for accessibility

Technical - Back of the House:
- Retrofit existing entry doors to improve backstage utilization
- Sound and Lighting systems upgrades

Lobby Area:
- Slightly increased lobby space
- Slightly expanded box office

Exterior:
- Add permanent covered patio on 13th street
- New Lighting and Landscaping

and hopefully a new name.....like SactownTom mentioned, I have to think naming rights could get at least a couple million.

Phillip

Dec 17, 2008, 7:38 AM

How does "Blue Diamond Theater" sound?

cozmoose

Dec 17, 2008, 10:19 AM

I'll believe it when i see it.

Still looks like a bunker, but at least we have a mayor, who wont hold 4 years worth of community workshops on the matter.

"If the project is approved by the Council, design work would start
in fall 2009 with construction beginning in 2013 and completion in 2015."

Wow...it takes 4 years to come up with a design on a partial renovation????
Only in Suckramento. :shrug:

LandofFrost

Dec 17, 2008, 4:40 PM

I sort of like the Soviet-Concrete-Block style community center theatre. It’s so dated that it has almost become fashionable again. No joke. Some world class architects are building things that look just like this.

Some easy interior fixes would make it look much more modern.

1. Remove the carpet, replace with stone in lobby, on stairs.
2. Remove all the gold chrome.
3. Some people I know actually like the lights, but you could replace them
with something more elegant, crystal rods.. err many possibilities.
4. Get rid of the tinted-glass Carport overhang.

Pretty easy fixes really.

ozone

Dec 18, 2008, 12:26 AM

:previous: I sort of agree with you. Brutalism can be interesting and human but I'm pretty sure CCT is neither. I guess the interior fixes would be easy but I don't know. Does the theater itself have good sound and sight lines?

The redo screams -"Community Theater"! They could do something really interesting for not much more money. Why doesn't the city shop around -contact several qualified architects and say to them -"Design us something functional and cool for this much money." Cuz even a little bit of money in order to do a whole lot of nothing is a big waste.

Or better yet let's open up K Street between 13th and 14th to cars -that'll make the CCT work and look 10X better.

wburg

Dec 18, 2008, 1:35 AM

Opening K between 13th and 14th would require demolition of a good chunk of the Convention Center.

ozone

Dec 18, 2008, 3:41 AM

Opening K between 13th and 14th would require demolition of a good chunk of the Convention Center.

I was joking.

doriankage

Dec 27, 2008, 12:55 PM

Must be a slow news week because I swear they did this story before recently!
By Tony Bizjak

Published: Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008 | Page 1A

Capitol Mall could use a makeover, city officials are saying. They're thinking … Paris.

"We can make it our own Champs-Elysées!" said an enthusiastic Sacramento City Councilman Steve Cohn.

Cohn, who's pushed the idea for years, is part of a city-sponsored group looking at enlivening what many say is a beautiful, yet oddly bland boulevard.

"It has beautiful vistas, but there's hardly anybody on it," said Cohn.

He envisions cafes and restaurants on extra-wide, tree-shaded sidewalks, clanging trolley cars and a big fountain at the west end to mirror the one in front of the state Capitol.

It would mean getting rid of those do-nothing grass medians in the middle of the street, he said.

Others are talking about a museum, new art and performance spaces, and even some stores.

In 2009, the public will be invited to offer ideas. Officials then hope to launch an international design competition, inviting architects to create visions of what Capitol Mall could become.

"We have one crack at this," said John Packowski, a downtown architect championing the idea. He calls it a grand public arts project. "People's jaws should drop when they drive onto it for the first time."

For now, however, the scheme is really more of a dream – and may draw smirks from downtown denizens accustomed to hearing big talk but seeing little action.

Indeed, neither the city nor state have money to spare, and may not for some time. And property owners along Capitol Mall will think twice before committing private money to what could be a $10 million-plus face-lift.

Meanwhile, the city has other front-burner issues.

Nearby K Street Mall maintains its status as downtown's fix-it priority. It's due for its own $4 million face-lift, starting this spring, but needs plenty more work to bring stores and housing back to several nearly barren blocks.

And the city continues its seemingly slow-motion chug to build a new train station, add streets and pave the way for development in the downtown railyard.

"We are making certain not to lose our focus there," Assistant City Manager John Dangberg said.

But Dangberg and others believe the time is good to think about what Capitol Mall could become.

New Mayor Kevin Johnson may throw his weight behind the effort.

Johnson aides said the mayor is interested in making the mall a "destination point," and a model of a style of street where pedestrians, bicycles and public transit get equal time with cars.

The boulevard has long been an underachiever.

Once, known as Capitol Avenue, it was a seedy but busy neighborhood. Former Sacramento Mayor Jimmie Yee, whose father ran a grocery store at Fourth and Capitol, fondly remembers the pre-redevelopment days of the 1960s.

"It was what I call a skid row," he said, "but it was a whole community. Redevelopment came in and took whole blocks at a time."

Today, it's stately. It allows for the undisturbed views of the Capitol that state officials demanded. But, said Yee, it's boring.

On weekdays, its street life is minimal. At night and on weekends, it's even quieter. Several parcels remain empty, and the minimalist architecture of some state buildings is uninspiring.

Yet Capitol Mall shares some notable qualities with Paris' famous boulevard.

It is broad, possibly the widest street in Sacramento. It's the elite address for big downtown lobbyists and law firms. Capitol Mall holds an estimated 20,000 offices.

Both are iconic: The Tour de France ends annually on the Champs-Elysées; this year's Tour of California starts on Capitol Mall.

And both are bookended by elegance.

To Capitol Mall's west stands the stout but stylish Tower Bridge, the historic front portal to Sacramento. Nearby, Crocker Museum is undergoing expansion.

To the east, the state Capitol shows its best side, fronted by a fountain somewhat more modest than the one in the Place de la Concorde at the base of the Champs-Elysées.

Councilman Cohn, architect Packowski and others say they don't exactly want to mimic the big Paris boulevard. After all, it has a McDonald's fast-food restaurant plunked down in the middle.

"It's the people, the romance, the street life we want," Packowski said.

There's a whiff of it already on the mall, he said, at the elegant Il Fornaio restaurant and the new Morton's restaurant with outdoor seating.

City officials are talking privately with a developer for a project near Crocker Park – think "families and children," Dangberg said – that could help spotlight the mall's possibilities.

State officials support redevelopment of Capitol Mall, but with a caveat:

"As long as the view of the Capitol is not obstructed in any way," state spokeswoman Liz Gransee said.

Jane Thomson, president of Sacramento's Alliance Francaise culture and language center, offered her own hurrah this week.

"Vive les espaces publiques!" she said.

wburg

Dec 28, 2008, 4:05 AM

hm. Actually the street is still known as Capitol Avenue (Capitol Mall is located on Capitol Avenue, just as the K Street Mall is located on K Street) and in the pre-redevelopment era it was known as M Street. The "Capitol Avenue" name was still pretty new in the 1950s when they started tearing out the old neighborhood.

BrianSac

Dec 28, 2008, 11:43 AM

travis bickle

Dec 28, 2008, 6:51 PM

Comparing it to les Champs-Elysées.....what a joke, :)....Capitol Mall n’est rien moins que les Champs-elysées. Mais, c'est possible, pense grand!

Do they realize the Place de la concorde is where over 1,100 people have been guillotined including Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. Maybe we should start cracking some heads in front of the capital building. :)

Hmmm... having a little trouble with the translation Brian, but I think you're saying that if we think big, it is possible to make CM a local version of the famous French Blvd. Or maybe you're saying we should think bigger than that and do something completely different... I'm not sure, my French isn't what it used to be... But I think Council-member Cohn was trying to use imagery that everyone could grasp immediately, hence the Champs-Elysées reference. He could have said "I want to make CM a vibrant street with lots of activity" I suppose, but that doesn't exactly have the same punch.

CM was designed at a time when planners were far more concerned with their colored pens and how pretty things looks on a site plan instead of how things actually lived. That's why you see so many wide, grassy medians on important roads from that era. They look cool on a site plan, but they inevitably are nothing more than green wastelands: sterile, barren and completely unused by people. You still see some examples of this on projects today (I had to remove one at the entrance to a project of mine a few years ago), but more planners are starting to realize how useless they are and that includes much of the present planning staff at the City.

Personally, I commend Council-member Cohn's efforts to make CM a thriving, livable street. Were we to end-up with a West Coast version of the Champs-Elysées, I could live with that.

As far as what happened at the Place de la Concorde? Well, most of that happened well over 200 years ago. Might be time to get over it. But I completely agree that we should start cracking some heads in front of the Capitol, we could start with the legislature and the sooner the better.:cheers:

Vive la Capitol Mall!

BrianSac

Dec 28, 2008, 9:38 PM

:previous:

travis, it makes me chuckle when people compare Sac with Paris based on trees and the capitol mall. :)

You were correct with your translation.
Capitol Mall n’est rien moins que les Champs-elysées. Mais, c'est possible, pense grand! (Capitol Mall is anything but the Champs-elysées, but, it's possible, think big!)

Capitol ave lost its neighborhood, as did the area known as the place de la concorde. But history lives, where the guillotine used to stand, now stands a 3,300 yr old egyptian obelisk given to the French in 1832, and before the guillotine, a statue of King Louis stood when the Place de la Concorde was called Place de la Réveloution. The area known as the Place de la Concorde evolved so shall Capitol Mall.

daverave

Dec 29, 2008, 1:42 AM

CM was designed at a time when planners were far more concerned with their colored pens and how pretty things looks on a site plan instead of how things actually lived. That's why you see so many wide, grassy medians on important roads from that era. They look cool on a site plan, but they inevitably are nothing more than green wastelands: sterile, barren and completely unused by people. You still see some examples of this on projects today (I had to remove one at the entrance to a project of mine a few years ago), but more planners are starting to realize how useless they are and that includes much of the present planning staff at the City.

I didn't realize that planners had outgrown their colored pens. Many a plan that looks sexy on a sheet of paper never translates to the real world because people never get that pretty view from the ground!

The McKinley Village project proposed for the old Centrage site will be featuring a grassy median down the middle of the major street there so I guess Peter Calthorpe still has his colored pens. They are referencing the T Street median as a model. Of course the MV median will be a hundred meters or so from Business 80 so it may not be as nice a place to hang out. :slob:

wburg

Dec 29, 2008, 5:54 PM

I didn't realize that planners had outgrown their colored pens. Many a plan that looks sexy on a sheet of paper never translates to the real world because people never get that pretty view from the ground!

The McKinley Village project proposed for the old Centrage site will be featuring a grassy median down the middle of the major street there so I guess Peter Calthorpe still has his colored pens. They are referencing the T Street median as a model. Of course the MV median will be a hundred meters or so from Business 80 so it may not be as nice a place to hang out. :slob:

Planners don't need colored pens now, they have 3-D rendering software that can stick 3-D rendered photorealistic people into a public plaza that nobody will use in the real world.

In the defense of grassy medians, people actually do use the grassy medians along T Street in Elmhurst, and T Street is also within a hundred meters of a busy highway (Hwy 50.) There are some differences, though: T Street's grassy median in Elmhurst was originally intended as a streetcar line, but for some reason (that I'd love to find out) the tracks and overhead were never built. It is also tree-lined, and the adjacent streets are one lane wide with a 25 MPH speed limit and frequent stop signs. The streets are also residential, with windows facing the street, so people feel safer because there are eyes on the medians.

So, on T Street, a grassy median works: a lot of people live there, the median is visible, it's comfortable because of the trees, and auto traffic is relatively light. People use them for picnics, kids' parties, yard sales, and neighborhood gatherings.

For similar reasons, the grassy and landscaped medians in Boulevard Park are also used. They are narrower, but the street trees and median landscaping provide shade. Folks in the neighborhood sometimes use the median for community gatherings and yard sales, although they're a bit narrow for much recreation--the Elmhurst ones are wider.

A big grassy median on a place like Capitol Avenue, with 2-3 lanes of traffic, surrounded by offices, and with no shade trees, is a whole different story. Nobody is going to set up a bounce house there.

As to whether it will work at McKinley Village: That depends on how well they can block freeway noise/appearance, the maximum speed limit on the adjacent street, how much shade they can put on the median (although there are few substitutes for oaks, elms and a few decades) and how much housing directly faces the street.

The Railyards also has a grassy-median plan, the Boxcar Parks--but they're planning it for the middle of a neighborhood of mid-rise residential buildings, with one lane of traffic on either side of the median, with plans for lots of trees on the grassy areas. That's the way to do it, really, as long as they keep the speed limit at 30 MPH or less.

Dakotasteve66

Dec 29, 2008, 10:21 PM

About 4 or 5 years ago I attended a large wine tasting street fair on Capitol Ave. The street was closed to traffic, tents with different vendors were set up in the median, and the street is where people walked between venues. It was very well attended, great views of the Capitol and Tower Bridge. I'm really surprised more events have not been attempted in this same way on Capitol Ave.

daverave

Dec 30, 2008, 1:36 AM

Planners don't need colored pens now, they have 3-D rendering software that can stick 3-D rendered photorealistic people into a public plaza that nobody will use in the real world.

In the defense of grassy medians, people actually do use the grassy medians along T Street in Elmhurst, and T Street is also within a hundred meters of a busy highway (Hwy 50.)
As to whether it will work at McKinley Village: That depends on how well they can block freeway noise/appearance, the maximum speed limit on the adjacent street, how much shade they can put on the median (although there are few substitutes for oaks, elms and a few decades) and how much housing directly faces the street.

There's still a lot of stock put into pretty 2-D plans.
While I would contend that it is quite a bit more than 100 meters from Hwy 50 to the Elmhurst median, as you know the significant difference is that Hwy 50 is well below the natural grade there which greatly reduces noise impacts. Houses in McKancer Village will all face the median and the traffic on either side will be single lane so that's all good but like you said it will be decades before there is significant shade. And the noise will be overbearing.

Fortunately the houses will be available in three styles, Spanish Mediterranean, Craftsman Bungalow and European Cottage. :slob: Something a whole lot edgier and modern would be more appropriate for that site, IMHO, with less emphasis on SFR.

innov8

Dec 30, 2008, 6:29 PM

Bob Shallit: Crystal ball for '08 mostly on the mark
By Bob Shallit
Published: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 | Page 1B

Nobody could have predicted the economic calamity that hit the region and country this year.

Nobody.

Still, our crystal ball wasn't too far off the mark in projecting winners, losers and big changes in the local business community.

Here's a look at our predictions from last December. The good, bad and ugly.

Starting with the accurate ones, we suggested that banks would take back at least 12,000 homes in Sacramento County (the actual total was more than 18,000); that Greyhound would finally announce plans to leave downtown (it did so in May and moves to Richards Boulevard next year); and that the region's office vacancy rate would rise at least 1 percent or more (it actually went up 2.5 percent, to 19 percent).

We were prophetic, too, in saying tiny D&S Development of Sacramento would continue its star role in the economy by building more residential condo units (including a building almost completed at 14th and R streets) and that the California Highway Patrol would secure new headquarter digs (though the agency ended up going to the Richards Boulevard area, not West Sac, as we expected).

We were prescient about a December opening for the Citizen Hotel downtown – and about the place immediately setting a new standard for local lodging.

We were on target also with the prediction that the renovation of Downtown Plaza would finally be scheduled (work on the multimillion-dollar face-lift begins next month), and that traffic would slow at Sac International Airport after a decade of rapid growth. (The failures of ExpressJet and Aloha Airlines played heavily into the year's estimated 7 percent decline in passenger volume).

Now to the bad.

We struck out entirely with the prediction that CalPERS and CIM Group would deliver a development proposal for the empty block at Third and Capitol Mall and that Sacramento's berry queen, Shari Fitzpatrick, would land an appearance on Oprah Winfrey's TV show. (Getting a public endorsement from rocker Ted Nugent isn't quite the same thing).

We were wrong in predicting that Folsom-based startup SynapSense Corp. would register $30 million in sales. (But the company did well and may hit that mark next year.)

Pride Industries had a fine year, growing revenues 10 percent to a projected $160 million. But that's short of the $200 million we envisioned.

Contrary to our predictions, no development proposals emerged for the west end of K Street (despite the settlement of the dispute between Moe Mohanna and the city).

The United Kingdom-based Fresh & Easy grocery chain discovered a recession is here and delayed its move into Northern California, even while locking down more future store sites in the region. Another miss.

How about the ugly? Try this one on for size. We predicted at least one local company would test the public markets with a stock offering.

Hah! There were no local IPOs in a year when public markets collapsed. Indeed, there were fewer than 50 initial public stock offerings nationally – down from 272 in 2007.

And given the market's uncertainties, next year will probably be worse.

Our grade?

A solid "B," we figure. Good enough to try this again for 2009.

Check out our business and economic forecast here on Thursday.

http://www.sacbee.com/shallit/story/1505445.html

snfenoc

Dec 30, 2008, 10:36 PM

Nobody could have predicted the economic calamity that hit the region and country this year.

Nobody.

Uh, I beg to differ.

Sincerely,

Peter Schiff

Cosigned,

Ron Paul

brandon12

Dec 31, 2008, 5:45 AM

Uh, I beg to differ.

Sincerely,

Peter Schiff

Cosigned,

Ron Paul

I felt compelled to log in after basically a two-year hiatus to say "bravo snfenoc, bravo"

When I read Shallit's words, I thought the EXACT same thing.

ok, bye again...

snfenoc

Dec 31, 2008, 5:48 AM

^
Don't be a stranger. I was wondering if you were still alive. Best wishes.

innov8

Jan 1, 2009, 12:39 AM

I felt compelled to log in after basically a two-year hiatus to say "bravo snfenoc, bravo"

When I read Shallit's words, I thought the EXACT same thing.

ok, bye again...

Ahhh... Brandon, it hasn’t been that long. Wasn’t it in February you announced running for a city council seat?

Happy New Year buddy :)

arod74

Jan 1, 2009, 5:30 PM

Pretty conservative, nothing groundshaking here. Let's hope we are in for some good surprises this year..

Bob Shallit: 2009 won't be pretty, but not all ugly, either
By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jan. 01, 2009 | Page 5B

It won't be pretty.

That's our quick – and oh-so-obvious – prediction for how the local economy will fare next year.

We anticipate the capital region will endure higher unemployment (perhaps hitting 10 percent), more hard times in housing, a grim market for commercial real estate and perhaps a bank failure or two.

But there also will be some positives, including a few new development projects as nimble entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities.

Here's our annual forecast:

Housing revival?

Builders and buyers will continue struggling in 2009, but by midyear we see home prices bottoming out, foreclosures dropping and sales picking up, spurred by declining interest rates.

Toward year's end, we'll even see some builders dusting off long-shelved subdivision plans.

And we envision at least one CADA-backed project breaking ground next year. The most likely: Developer Ravel Rasmussen Properties will start building apartments and retail on twin corners at 16th and O streets.

Commercial pains

After a tortuous year in the residential market, the commercial sector is about to feel the pain.

Lots of retailers will close, office tenants will thin out, industrial space will go begging. The result: soaring vacancy rates in overbuilt markets like Roseville, El Dorado Hills and Natomas – and plenty of properties being swept up by lenders.

The bright news? More golf time for commercial real estate brokers.

Downtown moves

We'll see a half-dozen restaurants and a couple of nightclubs shut their doors.

Will there be progress on invigorating the blighted 700 and 800 blocks of K Street? Of course not.
But the neighborhood news isn't all grim. Westfield Corp. will proceed with its multimillion-dollar renovation of Downtown Plaza. And across the river, work will finish on CalSTRS' 14-story headquarters site.

Let's eat

Despite tough times, most local grocers will survive the year. (We all need to eat, right?) That's partly because they won't face competition from Fresh & Easy, the British-owned chain which will again delay its move into Northern California.

Meanwhile, Safeway will select Sacramento as a test site for its new small-store format. And we predict that gourmet grocery Corti Brothers will remain at its Folsom Boulevard site, despite a May date set for its relocation.

In for a landing

The merger of Northwest and Delta will create some desirable gate space for a newcomer at Sacramento International Airport. First arrival: upscale carrier Virgin Americawith initial routes from Sacramento to San Diego and Los Angeles.

Startup fever

Venture capital money will be scarce. Nevertheless, we'll see a rash of new companies starting up in the tech and clean-energy fields.

Why? Would-be entrepreneurs at large companies will gamble that their current job uncertainty makes it the right time to launch their own businesses.

Stalled out

Don't expect any movement on the downtown railyard. Ditto the long-delayed Elk Grove Promenade mall.

But the latter project will acquire new owners – and renewed momentum – after what we expect will be a bankruptcy filing by General Growth Properties. The Promenade's likely new owner: Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group.

As for that iffy proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in Sacramento? Not happening.

Heard it here first

Look for a first-quarter announcement tied to ambitious plans to transform California State University, Sacramento, from a commuter school to an urban destination campus, as envisioned by CSUS President Alexander Gonzalez.

West Sacramento officials also will soon issue a big development announcement. Hint: It involves significant expansion by an industrial firm.
And in South Placer County, developers will submit paperwork to build a vast industrial park.

Hot prospects

Look for expansion and new locations for Gary Cino's WiseBuys Liquidators, whose debut outlet in Roseville sells everything for $9.98 or less. Given the current economy, it can buy deeply discounted inventory from failing companies, snap up great deals on real estate – and sell to consumers hungry for bargains.

It could be a good year, too, for Surewest Communications. The company will soon make a significant acquisition – and reward its long-suffering shareholders.

And a final note:

Here's our sports-and-politics prediction for the New Year: New Mayor Kevin Johnson will lose his ballot proposal to convert Sacramento to a strong-mayor system. With too much time on his hands, he'll start moonlighting as coach of the Sacramento Kings. Now there's a rebuilding challenge.

econgrad

Jan 1, 2009, 9:55 PM

^ Weak

goldcntry

Jan 2, 2009, 4:02 PM

We struck out entirely with the prediction that CalPERS and CIM Group would deliver a development proposal for the empty block at Third and Capitol Mall

I've been watching a lone worker all week cleaning out brush and rearranging some of the stored equipment on the 301 Cap Mall site. My first gut reaction was "YES!!" and then I realized that he wasn't using sophisticated surveying equipment... only raking up old tumbleweeds and dried pond scum.

http://www.sacfrg.org/images/sleepytomato.gif

urban_encounter

Jan 2, 2009, 6:50 PM

I've been watching a lone worker all week cleaning out brush and rearranging some of the stored equipment on the 301 Cap Mall site. My first gut reaction was "YES!!" and then I realized that he wasn't using sophisticated surveying equipment... only raking up old tumbleweeds and dried pond scum.

http://www.sacfrg.org/images/sleepytomato.gif

Keep in mind that I'm ALWAYS wrong with my predictions and know a lot less about the goings around Sacramento's development community than I used to kid myself into believing. But my prediction is that we're still about four years off of any construction on that site. Maybe another two before they announce something. The economy in California and Sacramento are in bad shape. (not exactly a secret to anyone).

I just don't think that they could make any project pencil out in this economy. And frankly they may have a tough time finding anybody willing to finance a the constrcution of a TUFF Shed at 301CM, let alone an 'Iconic' highrise..

bennywah

Jan 2, 2009, 7:30 PM

I would say if the market does indeed bottom out in 6-10 months, it might be worth the risk for them to announce something in say a year to 18mo's. They would be able to benefit from lower cost, low interest rates and be at the first part of a normal increase in values, and by the time their project is finished could raise prices on the remaining iventory to see an increased profit margin, especially since it will take about 2-2 1/2 years to construct, imho.

snfenoc

Jan 2, 2009, 11:25 PM

And we envision at least one CADA-backed project breaking ground next year. The most likely: Developer Ravel Rasmussen Properties will start building apartments and retail on twin corners at 16th and O streets.

EEG sites 2 and 3. I hope so, but I'll believe it when......well, you know the rest. All the promises and happy thoughts in the world have not brought Capitol Lofts (the CADA Warehouse) on R Street any closer to construction. Just 6-8 months ago we were told everything was together (new contractor, etc.) and construction would start during the 3rd Quarter of 2008. Well?

No mention of an arena deal. Gee, I wonder what's gonna happen.

NBA: Tell you what. You spend $500 million on an arena and the Maloofs will pay you about $3 million per year for 30 years to use it. Sound good to you?

Cal Expo: :gtfo2:

travis bickle

Jan 3, 2009, 3:18 AM

Look for a first-quarter announcement tied to ambitious plans to transform California State University, Sacramento, from a commuter school to an urban destination campus, as envisioned by CSUS President Alexander Gonzalez.

That's the one I find most interesting...

The merger of Northwest and Delta will create some desirable gate space for a newcomer at Sacramento International Airport. First arrival: upscale carrier Virgin America with initial routes from Sacramento to San Diego and Los Angeles.

Now where have we heard that before?

ltsmotorsport

Jan 3, 2009, 4:06 AM

Yeah. That was a nice call.

Web

Jan 4, 2009, 11:52 PM

That's the one I find most interesting...

Now where have we heard that before?

well Northwest has 1 gate in terminal B.....lots of vacant gates already there
and delta has 3 or 4 which it shares 1 with hawaiian in Terminal A......

so maybe 1 gate opens up......hmmmm so instead of 6 or 7 open gates now 7 or 8???

I don't get that one at all....its like they have never been to the airport!!

urban_encounter

Jan 5, 2009, 3:20 AM

well Northwest has 1 gate in terminal B.....lots of vacant gates already there

I think you're mistaken about that. Terminal B is at capacity.

Thouhts Travis?

travis bickle

Jan 5, 2009, 3:56 PM

I think you're mistaken about that. Terminal B is at capacity.

Thouhts Travis?

I haven't been in Terminal B in ages, so I'm unsure of the details. Anyone, please correct as you see fit. But let's take a look at it.

Terminal B-1 - Seven gates (21-27).
Alaska
Continental
Frontier
Horizon
JetBlue
Mexicana
Northwest

Terminal B-2 - Seven gates (31-37).
American
United
United Express

All Northwest flights use gate 22. Northwest usually flies 2x/day to MSP in the winter, 3x/day in summer. So integrating the NWA schedule into Delta's should not be a big problem. But looking at the above airline list, it appears that the critical issue isn't necessarily gate space, but counter space. Gate 22 could easily accommodate say 4-5 Virgin America flights/day to SD and another 2-3 flights/day to LAX, but all the gate space in the world doesn't matter if you have no counter space. If I remember correctly, Northwest has prime counter space for all of 2-3 flights/day.

So that's what I think the key is here: counter space. Northwest joins Delta in Terminal 2 adding a max of 3 flights/day, but frees up vital counter space in Terminal 1. Virgin takes that counter space and gate 22 for 6-8 flights/day to start.

travis bickle

Jan 6, 2009, 2:44 AM

I am told that the City has selected a Bay Area developer for a project on the infamous Lot "X" at the far west end of Capitol Mall. My understanding is that the proposal has progressed into the design stage and that a deal to enter an exclusive negotiating agreement will be announced within two weeks. Source is good. We'll see.

sugit

Jan 6, 2009, 3:10 AM

snfenoc

Jan 6, 2009, 3:29 AM

Wow...that came out of nowhere. They just took the land off the market what seems like less than a year ago. Any indication on what kind of use it will be?

Speaking of rumors, I've heard that there is a hotel project close to annoucement at the old WaMu building at 10th and K.

Tony Gianonni and the group that did the Ross Atkins Building are behind it.

I'm assuming the proposal is at the site of the old WaMu building? In other words, tear it down and build something bigger??

That's a pretty small building (2 stories) to house a hotel.

Thanks for the info guys. I'm glad to know the wheels are still turning.

ltsmotorsport

Jan 6, 2009, 4:56 AM

Cool. Will be interesting to see where this leads.

SactownTom

Jan 6, 2009, 8:18 AM

doriankage

Jan 6, 2009, 5:32 PM

By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jan. 06, 2009 | Page 3B

Plans for another multistory condo complex in midtown could soon be moving forward despite continuing hard times in the housing market.

The project in question is at the southeast corner of 16th and P streets, on land owned by the Capitol Area Development Authority.

Three developers have responded to the agency's request for proposals on the site – and all will be presenting their ideas at a CADA board meeting Jan. 30.

A final selection could come March 20, leaving enough time for a particularly quick-moving developer to get permits and financing, demo the existing building there and still begin new construction by early next year.

What's unusual about this one is CADA's strong preference to see "for sale" housing – instead of rentals – at the high-profile site across from Fremont Park.

"Everybody would like to see more ownership housing" in the area, says CADA Executive Director Paul Schmidt.

Is there a market for that kind of product at a time when other midtown for-sale projects – including the L Street Lofts condos at 18th and L and the Tapestri Square row houses at 21st and T – are struggling?

Schmidt is convinced there is, especially if the developers can keep most units in the $300,000 range.

He cites, for example, fast sales of loft units at the nearly completed D&S Development project at 14th and R streets, just a couple of blocks from the CADA project.

Interestingly, D&S is one of the three developers interested in the CADA project. It's proposing a six-story, 42-unit complex there.

The other bidders? We hear they're SKK Developments and MNA Management.

innov8

Jan 6, 2009, 8:37 PM

Sugit......I really love the way you've layed out the status of current projects on the first page of this thread, but I'm wondering if it's a bit out of date. I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could start a new thread for the new year? I think it's a great resourse for people here on the board.

It would be easier to just update the first page here than to start a new one.
About two years ago fflint and M II A II R II K changed the rules as to when a new
thread can be started and another one ended. There has to be 10,000 posts
on a thread before they will replace a "sticky thread".

sugit

Jan 6, 2009, 10:42 PM

Sugit......I really love the way you've layed out the status of current projects on the first page of this thread, but I'm wondering if it's a bit out of date. I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you could start a new thread for the new year? I think it's a great resourse for people here on the board.

I'll try and get it updated over the next couple of days. I haven't been doing it since I really didn't know if many people looked at it anymore.

ltsmotorsport

Jan 6, 2009, 11:12 PM

So the story from the Bee today refers to the site where that 15-or-so-story condo tower was proposed last year and then shelved in all but a couple months?

sugit

Jan 6, 2009, 11:24 PM

No, that's a different CADA site, 16th and N Street. This one is on 16th and P.

wburg

Jan 7, 2009, 7:25 PM

This "golden spike" guy just won't give it up...

http://www.sacbee.com/latest/story/1523431.html

Business exec envisions "golden spike" in downtown railyard
By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Jan. 07, 2009
Local exec Walter Horsting has long contended that Sacramento needs a giant "golden spike" landmark.

Now he's promoting a way to build it for free.

In a letter to state, city and business officials, Horsting suggests the state build its next big office complex at the Southern Pacifc railyards project north of downtown.

He proposes a 45-to-60-story office tower on land near the existing Amtrak rail station, with the building lobby serving as a new transit station.

In Hosting's view, it's a no-brainer. It saves the enormous cost of moving the existing historic terminal closer to where new train and high-speed rail tracks are planned. It would also place a major state employment center adjacent to a future high-speed rail station, meeting the intent of the state's recently-approved high-speed rail initiative.

"Building a high-rise there is state policy," he says.

Best of all, he says, the plan allows the state to erect an iconic building, shaped like a golden spike to symbolize the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad.

"If we do this intelligently," he says, "we can get a great symbol for free."

Reaction to his proposal? Horsting, a Sacramento-based development VP with audio-visual provider AVI-SPL, says he's had positive talks with Thomas Enterprises, the railyard's owners. "They want a great building there," he says.

City and state officials, who would need to approve a land swap to make Horsting's plan viable, haven't responded.

And state folks, in particular, have been hard to pin down. "They have a lot on their plate right now," he says.

Lots of problems with this. For starters, does anyone think the state is in any shape to bankroll a skyscraper, or will be anytime soon? Second, what would that mean for the existing station? Third, the space between the existing station and the new tracks would be best used as an expanded station, including bus, light rail, local transit and expanded retail options, with a resulting total area closer to the Los Angeles or Chicago union stations--Sacramento's train station, seventh busiest in the nation, should be of similar magnitude. Fourth, the whole damn idea is ridiculous and the planned building just looks like gaudy garbage.

innov8

Jan 7, 2009, 9:06 PM

Yeah, this guy needs a reality check... I hope the city ignores this guy
because his 15 minutes are up.

tronblue

Jan 7, 2009, 10:38 PM

reminds me of the guy from "office space" with too much time on his hands for bad ideas: the jump to conclusions mat. Since when does a spike ever sit above ground. I have a better idea. Lets drive a 45-60 story golden spike building into the ground so we don't have to look at the ugly thing.

ozone

Jan 9, 2009, 6:50 AM

:previous: LOL

sactown_2007

Jan 10, 2009, 6:24 PM

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/philip_bryant/tom2.jpg

Walter Horsting or aka Tom Smykowski:

"Guys, it's a no-brainer. It saves the enormous cost of moving the existing historic terminal closer to where new train and high-speed rail tracks are planned. It would also place a major state employment center adjacent to a future high-speed rail station, meeting the intent of the state's recently-approved high-speed rail initiative.

Why....building a high-rise there is state policy!

Best of all, my plan allows the state to erect an iconic building, shaped like a golden spike to symbolize the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad!

If we do this intelligently, we can get a great symbol for free!

This plan is even better than my Jump to Conclusions Mat!!!"

http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn130/philip_bryant/office_space_kit_mat.jpg

Was that along the lines of what you were thinking tronblue? Sorry I could not resist -- I loved the movie!! LOL!!!

Yeah this guy is full of crap on his plan and neither the City or the State will even listen to him. I think they both have more important issues right now to consider. And a 60-story golden spike in The Railyards....oh please not!!! :no:

sactown_2007

Jan 10, 2009, 6:30 PM

Oh and I know this story is not about construction in downtown Sac, but I saw this in the SacBee on Thursday and not sure if you guys knew about it. Sounds like a story we have heard before.

Casino construction halts; Thunder Valley mulls total expansion
By Bob Walter
bwalter@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jan. 08, 2009 | Page 4B

The once-bustling construction site next to Thunder Valley casino looks like a high-rise ghost town, with pillars and rebar and empty cranes that disappeared into the fog Wednesday. And no workers.

It feels like Placer County's version of the half-built Elk Grove Promenade mall – only taller. Both projects were halted midstream by the lagging economy.

Work on the casino expansion stopped last month, idling 350 people employed by Thunder Valley contractors and subcontractors.

But construction is expected to begin again by late spring or early summer, said Doug Elmets, spokesman for the United Auburn Indian Community, which owns and operates the casino.

The goal is to complete construction by 2010 as scheduled when ground was broken for the project in July, Elmets said.

The question that remains is how big the expansion will ultimately be.

The original plan, estimated to cost $1 billion, called for a 23-story hotel with 624 rooms, a nine-story parking garage with 5,000 spaces, performing arts center and more.

"Like most businesses, we are trying to gauge future market demand," Elmets said. "There is no question that Placer County and the region need a large hotel and the casino needs more parking. But will we need nine stories of parking or as many suites as we planned?

"The tribe … decided to step back and reassess and at this stage of the development of the project, they were able to do just that."

Elmets said last month's opening of the $530 million Red Hawk Casino, on Highway 50 in Shingle Springs, had no bearing on the Thunder Valley decision to proceed with the expansion.

"The reality is there are 5 million people within a 100-mile radius of both Thunder Valley and Red Hawk," he said. "The number of people visiting Thunder Valley continues to grow, especially during the holiday season, but in this economy, people are just not spending as much."

Elmets would not discuss the casino's revenue, but gaming analysts have estimated Thunder Valley's annual profits to be between $400 million and $500 million. Some analysts says Thunder Valley is among a handful of the most profitable casinos, Indian or otherwise, in the country.

Representatives of Red Hawk, owned by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, would not discuss the new casino's revenue projections.

But Bill Eadington, of the Institute for the Study of Gambling & Commercial Gaming at the University of Nevada, said in November that Red Hawk could generate $250 million a year, "even in a recession."

ltsmotorsport

Jan 10, 2009, 9:28 PM

That article was posted in the suburban thread.

SactownTom

Jan 13, 2009, 10:18 AM

I snuck into the 14th and R street lofts this afternoon (gotta keep those doors locked guys) and it was top notch. There were signs on most of the door saying that the units were already reserved. The unit with the step down living area was my favorite. With this project and the I Street lofts in Old Sac, I would say that D & S Development are the de facto leaders in loft building in Sacramento. I'd love for the city to turn them loose on some of the brick buildings in the Rivers District and turn that area around. Great work guys!

sugit

Jan 15, 2009, 12:01 AM

Not surprising, but the closing of BR is a big lose for DTP. That and Macy's are the only reasons I ever go there.

Hopefully this really wakes Westfield up.

Banana Republic, Ann Taylor shutting Downtown Plaza stores
By Mark Glover
mglover@sacbee.com
Published: Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009

Apparel and accessories retailers Ann Taylor and Banana Republic will be leaving Westfield Downtown Plaza by the end of the month, officials with the mall confirmed today.

Raelene Trumm, the mall's marketing manager, said she could not comment beyond confirming the closures.

She said that Westfield intends to move forward this year with the first phase of a multimillion-dollar face-lift at the mall. Most of that work will be on the mall's second level, where Ann Taylor and Banana Republic operate.

Officials with New York-based Ann Taylor could not be reached for comment.

Catherine Rhoades, a spokeswoman for Banana Republic's San Francisco-based parent, Gap Inc., said the company does not cite specific reasons for individual store closures. She said the company continually evaluates specific markets and the relative success of its stores in those markets.

Other area stores operated by the two retailers remain open.

Majin

Jan 15, 2009, 12:09 AM

Good, I hope everybody leaves and forces Westfield to sell the place.

Yogi916

Jan 15, 2009, 1:06 AM

Appreciated SactownTom, that means a lot to us

arod74

Jan 15, 2009, 5:27 AM

Not surprising, but the closing of BR is a big lose for DTP. That and Macy's are the only reasons I ever go there.

Yeah, the construction workers will outnumber shoppers if Westfield decides to move ahead with its face lift. At the rate they're losing retailers, I think the chances that Westfield cancels their plans are better than 50-50. Seriously, what reason is there to go to DTP other than Macy's (I hear that the furniture dept is closing up shop also). The fact that people shop there specifically to avoid crowds says it all.

econgrad

Jan 15, 2009, 10:16 AM

Yeah, the construction workers will outnumber shoppers if Westfield decides to move ahead with its face lift. At the rate they're losing retailers, I think the chances that Westfield cancels their plans are better than 50-50. Seriously, what reason is there to go to DTP other than Macy's (I hear that the furniture dept is closing up shop also). The fact that people shop there specifically to avoid crowds says it all.

Not really a reason to go to that Macy's either.... highrises with the mall on the first 2 floors, the rest office and residential. I dared to dream.

econgrad

Jan 15, 2009, 10:20 AM

Bob Shallit: Sacramento riverfront walkway extension set to start
By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 | Page 1B

Along-planned extension of Sacramento's riverfront promenade should be under way next month.

The concrete walkway now runs from the Embassy Suites hotel south to O Street. The three-block-long extension will take it to R Street and "look a lot better" than the existing stretch, says Paul Spence, with Flintco Inc.'s Folsom office, which was awarded the construction job last fall.

The extension will include colorful pavers, shade structures, lighting, benches, river observation points and lots of landscaping, he says. The job – expected to take about a year – also calls for a slight eastward relocation of the railroad tracks serving the tourist train that runs from Old Sacramento.

Separately, work is proceeding on a pedestrian and bike bridge that crosses Interstate 5 and connects with a small park planned near the R Street end of the promenade.

The project is expected to cost about $5.36 million, says Beth Tincher, a senior project manager with Sacramento's Economic Development Department. Final terms of the Flintco contract are expected to be approved by the City Council on Jan. 27.

Tincher calls the promenade a "catalyst project" setting the stage for development of the Docks, a retail and housing project south of Old Sacramento. Construction on that project won't get started before summer 2010, she says.

Mixed signals

Look for a small tweak in the marketing of downtown Sacramento's offbeat RetroLodge, the hotel-turned-office complex.

Owners are now calling it "The Offices @ RetroLodge" because, well, lots of people still think it's a Travelodge.

"It looks like the same old hotel, only spruced up," says Andy Ekstrom, who handles leasing for property owner Heller Pacific. The retro complex at 11th and H streets has a "Jetsons"-esque theme with "Astro" and "Elroy" buildings, based on the space-age TV family.

So far, 16 of the 50 cozy offices have been leased to an eclectic group of tenants, including a music producer, a software developer, an event planner and a massage therapist. Opening next month is a Naked Lounge coffee shop.

Ekstrom likes the current mix of tenants and wants to develop camaraderie among them. Among his plans: socials and kickball games.

Mystery locale

When it comes to real estate raffles for good causes, the folks at Ronald McDonald House Charities have a leg up on the Sacramento Theatre Company.

As we reported, STC tried to raffle off a West Sac condo last year. They ended up selling only 642 tickets – at $100 a pop. That was far short of the minimum needed for a winner to actually claim the condo.

But Ronald McDonald Charities is off to a much better start with its raffle of a fully furnished, 5,760-square-foot mansion valued at $1.9 million.

More than 1,000 tickets – at $150 each – were sold in the raffle's first few days, says Stacey Hodge, the local community relations director.

"It's amazing how fast people have responded," she says.

If at least 29,000 tickets are sold by May 15, the winner gets the house. Or $1.5 million in cash, take your pick. If fewer tickets are sold, the winner receives half of the raffle's net proceeds. (For a peek at the mansion, go to: www.sacramentoraffle.com)

Other prizes, including cash, trips and cars, are also being offered.

One oddity: Hodge won't say where the "dream home" is located, other than it's 40 miles from Sacramento and surrounded by vineyards.

Why the secrecy? "We don't want people going there and bothering" the home's owners, she says.

Reach Bob Shallit at (916) 321-1049. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/shallit.

econgrad

Jan 23, 2009, 11:42 PM

Trends indicate downtown Sacramento faces vibrant future, expert says
By Ryan Lillis
rlillis@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009

A national expert says Sacramento is in a good position to come out well from the current economic downtown.

At a State of Downtown event -- sponsored by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership -- Brad Segal, president of Progressive Urban Management Associates in Denver, said several national and worldwide trends would contribute to "vibrant downtowns" across the country in the coming years.

Those trends include both older and younger generations "predisposed to living and being in downtown" and a movement toward smaller cars and smaller homes.

"The major shift we're seeing in downtown is not just a lifestyle choice, but an economic imperative," Segal told 600 gathered at Memorial Auditorium this morning. "The economics of living downtown will be more important to people over the next 20 years."

Segal said Sacramento should work to make its downtown clean and safe - particularly to attract the growing number of young professional women - and should welcome a young and multicultural population and promote innovative small businesses.

According to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, which held the breakfast, 312 housing units were added to downtown last year and 355 more are under construction. Another 16,402 units are proposed at 11 projects.

About 1 million square feet of office space was completed or was under construction last year and about 1,500 people have moved downtown since 2000.

However, last year also saw a 1.16 percent decrease in sales tax revenue downtown and a 4.7 percent decrease in attendance at attractions such as museums, concerts and sports venues.

innov8

Jan 24, 2009, 3:41 AM

Friday, January 23, 2009
Agencies halt $1.25B in bond-funded projects
Sacramento Business Journal - by Michael Shaw Staff writer

Sacramento has a lot riding on a budget deal.

More than 300 bond-funded projects in the four-county region have been shut down or suspended because the state’s Pooled Money Investment Account is running dry. Those projects — from a $21.8 million renovation of the University of California Davis law school to trail improvements costing just a few hundred dollars — were expecting to receive $1.25 billion in state funding. That’s only for projects under way.

Last week, the Business Journal reported $970 million in funds was at risk, but the total is much higher, according to a comprehensive list of projects subject to a freeze.

The state doesn’t have the money for the Sacramento-area projects and billions more for others in the state because it can’t find buyers for voter-approved bonds for schools, infrastructure, water quality improvement, highway construction and much more. State officials say a budget that addresses a projected $42 billion shortfall over the next 18 months would go a long way toward showing investors that California bonds are sound.

“There are some signs the credit market is loosening,” Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer said. “But odds are, we will not be able to go into the credit market until we get this situation resolved.”

Statewide, 5,300 projects have been suspended, with only 276 priority construction projects exempted from the freeze. But even those will have to be shut down if there’s no budget by Feb. 1, Palmer said. Those include 15 projects in the Sacramento area, such as the Lincoln Bypass highway project that’s relying on $131 million in state funds, Natomas levee repairs that require $35 million, and the $214 million renovation of the state’s central power plant.

The state’s Pooled Money Investment Board, which oversees the account that supplies bond projects with funding, authorized the release of $500 million last week for its unpaid bills and another $150 million to cover administrative costs for the bond programs. But there isn’t any money to keep priority projects rolling.

The state’s investment consultants have suggested testing the market anyway, said Tom Dresslar, spokesman for State Treasurer Bill Lockyer.

“There’s some indication we could go sell some bonds even without a budget,” he said. “We will be exploring that.”

But even with a balanced budget, there’s no guarantee that the state can raise enough cash to cover all the obligations, he said.

Some agencies won’t have to alter plans.

WEAVE Inc., which provides domestic violence and sexual assault intervention in the region, got a $1 million commitment from the state for a new facility. The organization won’t have to stop work because it didn’t bank on having the funds in hand, executive director Beth Hassett said.

But for hundreds of other construction projects, habitat restoration efforts and academic pursuits, the freeze means altering plans.

This week, deans of various schools at UC Davis stopped work on more than a dozen research projects funded through bond measures, many concerning water quality and safety.

University spokesman Andy Fell said the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences was forced to lay off 12 academic workers, including post-doctoral researchers, and eight staff members because of the frozen funds. The college is working to find other slots for those workers, Fell said.

University officials told contractor K.O.O. Construction Inc. of Sacramento to stop construction for at least 90 days on the King Hall renovation, home to the law school, after the foundation had been poured.

“We’ve been looking at those projects one by one and how close they are to completion,” Fell said. “Some have been accelerated, others have been shut down.”

Sacramento-area bond-funded projects exempted from the state freeze until Feb. 1; with amount of state funding:

• Central Plant Renovation: $214 million
• Sacramento City Unified School District: $6.6 million
• Interstate 80 improvements: $8.5 million
• Lincoln Bypass: $131 million
• Route 99/Sheldon Road Interchange: $38.7 million
• Natomas levee repairs: $35.7 million• University of California Davis electrical improvements: $10.2 million
• UC Davis stream expansion: $10.5 million
• Sierra Joint Community College District, new classrooms and labs: $2.6 million
• Yuba Community College District: engineering, math, science, learning resources technology center and liberal arts modernization:
$31.85 million
• Los Rios Community College District: police, print and office building, $2 million

http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/01/26/story5.html

urban_encounter

Jan 28, 2009, 3:49 AM

Trends indicate downtown Sacramento faces vibrant future, expert says
By Ryan Lillis

[B] Another 16,402 units are proposed at 11 projects.

Of which, we will probably see only 402 of the units actually constructed.

ltsmotorsport

Jan 30, 2009, 7:18 PM

Plan envisions Sacramento riverfront without fuel tanks
By Hudson Sangree
hsangree@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jan. 30, 2009 | Page 1B

With its vast stretches of tomato fields, Yolo County isn't exactly known for luxury waterfront living.

But that could change.

A plan to replace acres of large fuel storage tanks on the Yolo side of the Sacramento River with housing, shops, restaurants and offices is moving ahead.

The idea focuses on tanks south of the Pioneer Bridge in West Sacramento. Meanwhile, fuel tanks on the Sacramento side of the river also would be cleared out under the plan. These are the big tanks on either side of Broadway near Miller Park.

In their place would be promenades and parks – creating instant new playgrounds for residents and visitors. And housing with picture-perfect views of the Sacramento River.

It's all envisioned under a document called the Sacramento Riverfront Master Plan. It describes the river's transformation from industrial corridor to center of urban life.

Making it happen requires patience: It's taking a long time – piece by piece – and involves local governments and private enterprise.

A current proposal focuses on the fuel tanks that are the major distribution point for gasoline in the region. All the tanks on both sides of the river would be moved to a new location at the Port of Sacramento in West Sacramento.

"It gets the tanks off the incredibly valuable riverfront and moves them to a better industrial site," said Mike McGowan, chairman of the Yolo County Board of Supervisors and a West Sacramento native.

McGowan also heads the Sacramento Yolo Port Commission.

The plan took a big step forward Jan. 15 when West Sacramento's planning commissioners unanimously approved a private company's proposal to build a large, state-of-the art fuel storage facility at the port.

The proposed 1.2 million barrel facility, with 17 large tanks on 20 acres, would replace the approximately 50 white circular tanks that now dot both riverbanks.

Major hurdles remain, however.

West Sacramento City Councilman William Kristoff has appealed the Planning Commission's decision, meaning it now must face review by the City Council.

Kristoff said he's concerned about increased rail and truck traffic along already congested Jefferson Boulevard. He's worried about fuel spills at the port. And he wants more assurance that the West Sacramento tank farms will relocate, so that the city doesn't end up helping Sacramento at its own expense.

There's also the question of money to mitigate the project's impact on the city. "I would like to see all the parties that will benefit contribute," Kristoff said.

Perhaps more importantly, no one is sure if the oil companies that own the tanks by the river – Chevron, BP/Arco, Shell and ConocoPhillips – will think it's worth moving. Serious negotiations have yet to start, according to those involved.

Roy Wickland, who heads SacPort Regional Terminal, the private company that wants to build at the port, said it was difficult to "keep up the momentum" of talks with the oil companies while the project was awaiting approval by West Sacramento officials.

The planning process took three years, he said.

"It's been hard to get (the oil companies') attention," Wickland said. "We're hopeful that we can sit down and begin the process of serious discussions." Wickland said that to start construction at the port, his firm would need commitments from at least two of the oil companies.

The tank farms have been in their current location for decades. Pipelines connect them to refineries in the Bay Area.

One major pipeline already travels through the port area, making the project more feasible, according to proponents.

Still, the oil giants would have to be convinced that leasing space from Wickland's company at the port made economic sense.

Sooner or later the tanks will have to go as part of riverfront master plan, but that doesn't mean they'll move in the immediate future, McGowan said.

McGowan said he's optimistic that the oil companies will realize their land is worth much more if it's developed for mixed residential and commercial uses.

The companies could take advantage of new tanks, better vapor-recovery systems and other environmental protections at the port, proponents contend.

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http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2009/01/29/20/244-5M30OIL.standalone.prod_affiliate.4.JPG

innov8

Feb 7, 2009, 5:09 AM

This bit of info was in the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 February Newsletter (http://www.oe3.org/news/files/0902_EN_News.pdf)

District 80 has a lot of work going on – some carried over from 2008 as
well as several new projects to start in the spring.

Balfour Beatty is staying busy on the Vineyard Water Treatment Plant
and at the Freeport Intake. Collet is working on the Kaiser South Hospital
expansion project where Sheedy has an elevator running on site. Teichert
and Flat Iron stay busy at the airport.

Upcoming projects for 2009 include a multi-story parking facility in
downtown Sacramento at 5th and 6th streets at the Union Pacific track
realignment valued at $70 million. A $226 million light-rail expansion
is also planned in South Sacramento from the Meadowview Station to
Cosumnes River College. It includes a 4.3-mile extension, four new stations
and an operations facility. The project should start midsummer. Granite
was awarded a $62 million paving job on I-80 starting in the Colfax area.
We hope that by now some of the federal monies allocated to California
for infrastructure repair have started to flow our way.

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the Thunder Valley expansion
project was put on hold. Talks continue about finishing the parking structure
and possibly reducing the size of the hotel. Hopefully members are back to
work by now.