Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III - Page 86

innov8 · #**1701** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 8:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TowerDistrict

yeah, that looks great. i wonder how the phasing will occur? i'd imagine they'll start with the office portion, then slowly phase into the residential, considering the market conditions. it'll be interesting to find out their timeline for a complete build-out too.

The phasing was suppose to start this summer and be done by 2013.

innov8 · #**1702** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 8:47 PM**

Damn double post

TowerDistrict · #**1703** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 9:02 PM**

That's amazing that they're going for housing/retail first. Totally contrary to what I would've expected... but who the hell am i?

That's cool - you can see the riverfront ampitheater in that diagram.

wburg · #**1704** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 9:18 PM**

Okay, now it's starting to make sense...assuming that the curves on that map are the light-rail tracks, the Richards station is planned for the north side of Richards running in both directions, along the front of the development, with shelter/shade structures at the station site. I hadn't seen this detail map before, and assumed that they would route the cars up North 7th where it appeared there was a right-of-way. Now they'd just better build the damn line!

TowerDistrict · #**1705** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 9:34 PM**

Ahh.. Thanks for pointing that out. That's a cool set up - I wonder if it merges back onto Richards at some point though?

wburg · #**1706** Posted **Jul 25, 2007, 10:11 PM**

A merge across to the center of Richards Blvd. seems unnecessary if it only follows Richards for two or three blocks and then turns north onto Sequoia Pacific. It would probably look a bit like the off-street running south of Arden from Del Paso Blvd. along the old SN right-of-way, or Twelfth Street except with two-way traffic.

otnemarcaS · #**1707** Posted **Jul 26, 2007, 6:21 PM**

Deleted

innov8 · #**1708** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 5:55 AM**

Pistola916 · #**1709** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 6:49 AM**

^
The back of 621 isn't as bad as I thought. It looks nice.

Sactorleans · #**1710** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 2:13 PM**

There is a large empty lot that backs up to the rail line at the northeast corner of 19th and Q Street that was apparently just bought by a company called Cemo Midtown:

http://www.cemomidtown.com/

There is a banner on the site with the web address, but nothing more. It is just up the street from the new Safeway, and only a few blocks from the 16th Street lightrail station.

TowerDistrict · #**1711** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 3:56 PM**

Bob Shallit:
Developer's willing to wait on midtown
Last Updated 6:20 am PDT Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D5

Developer Sammy Cemo is a retail and commercial guy. Residential construction? "That's a little out of my realm," he says. But he's pursuing a residential development, nonetheless, in midtown Sacramento. One of his longtime execs wanted to live near downtown. Another one of his colleagues had the same idea. Sammy was willing to help.

So he bought a vacant parcel at the northeast corner of 19th and Q streets. Because he's new to this, Cemo is seeking some guidance. He's created a Web site, cemomidtown.com, that queries potential midtown dwellers on their druthers. Would they like an apartment or a condo? What size unit? What amenities? How much would they pay?

Cemo says he'll analyze the responses, then decide exactly what to build. The developer may not be a residential guy, but he knows this much: "Timing-wise," he says, "the market sucks." But he also knows markets turn. He'll start work on his apartment-condo-whatever at the first sign that things are improving.

wburg · #**1712** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 4:29 PM**

Interesting...this is the corner where the transformer was, right? I did start to wonder about that corner when the grass started getting cut and the transformer was taken out of service. Should be interesting: historically, that lot was the northern half of the Western Pacific wye (the southern half is RT's South Line tracks and the Bee bridge. Hopefully they'll follow the R Street market's lead and go for something industrial-looking. The block kitty-cornered to that has some duplexes slated, although the contractor for that job is based in Roseville and his buildings just scream "suburb" even when they're comparatively dense (case in point: the fourplex at 26th and R.)

snfenoc · #**1713** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 9:47 PM**

County takes fresh look at downtown
Ponders sites for possible development
Sacramento Business Journal - July 27, 2007by Michael ShawStaff Writer
Dennis McCoy | Sacramento Business Journal

County leaders are realizing parking lots and vacant parcels aren't living up to their highest potential. They're studying where to build new facilities and which portions of six blocks northwest of the Capitol to open up for possible development.

The land value of one downtown city block in Sacramento ranges from about $10 million to more than $20 million, depending on location.

Beyond the asset value of the county's property, new development would provide an opportunity to move county operations into more modern office space. Some sites could be offered for sale to developers for conversion to mixed-use office buildings or condo towers.

"The idea is: Let's look into our long-term needs," said Paul Hahn, administrator of the county's Municipal Services Agency. "We're thinking of decentralizing some of our services that don't need to be downtown. We want to reorganize, and there's a good deal of potential."

The effort, alternatively called a downtown relocation study and a downtown master plan, stems from the need to replace older facilities, most notably the old administration building at 7th and I streets. The building is more than 40 years old and houses five departments.

"Our old county building is not seismically sound," Supervisor Roger Dickinson said. "It's getting to the point within the foreseeable future that we'll need to do something about it. It's not cost-effective to retrofit."

Decommissioning the approximately 75,000-square-foot building could have a domino effect, moving at least one department from downtown and requiring space for the remaining departments. The logical place is within a new office building or mixed-use tower built by private developers.

That had been the plan with a vacant county building on I Street that had once been a Bank of America branch and a temporary City Hall. It was close to being purchased by homebuilder D.R. Horton last year, but the housing market downturn killed the deal. The county is now negotiating with at least three other developers for that site, and the discussions include reserving at least 30,000 square feet for county offices, though talks are proceeding slowly.

Getting ready to move
The county has hired a consultant, Stafford King Wiese Architects of Sacramento, to study its facilities and further develop a plan. But officials stressed it's a long-term study and no decisions are ready to be made. With a slumping housing market and other office towers in the pipeline, development isn't likely overnight.

"There are a lot of things we could do and a lot of opportunities," said Carl Mosher, county director of facility planning, architecture and real estate. "The bottom line is that we don't have a proposal and we're not in a position to do so. We're trying to be ready for that when the time is right."

Some general ideas have surfaced early on. Perhaps the most intriguing for developers is the realization that parking lots and garages are wasted space because parking can be put underneath much larger buildings.

The county's two-story parking garage west of the courthouse is a prime example, Dickinson said. It borders the railyard and could tie in to developer Thomas Enterprises' plan for mixed-use office buildings and residential towers.

Other properties under review include:

The block north of the main parking garage that includes the sheriff administration building, recorder's office and a parking facility. The block, abutting the railyard and housing aging buildings, could be a prime development spot if the county can find replacement space for the operations housed on that block.
The St. Joseph parking lot, reserved for jury parking, north of the courthouse also could retain parking underneath a building. The Superior Court of Sacramento County has designs on a new building, and this lot could be the ideal choice.
The block with the county jail has a vacant parcel that was being reserved for jail expansion. County officials say the lot could instead support a new county building or other development.
Order for a new court
Greg Levi, a senior vice president at CB Richard Ellis in Sacramento, said the county locations aren't as attractive as lots on Capitol Mall. He valued the property in that area at about $100 per square foot.

"You're looking out onto the jail; they don't have the arts and entertainment of other areas," he said. "I don't think I've had anyone in 10 years say they wanted to be located next to the courthouse."

As for the courthouse, the county owns it but is negotiating to transfer it to the state, therefore ensuring the state would cover future upkeep. Counties that transfer courthouses under a special program pay only a flat maintenance fee that never increases.

Although deadlines have passed that allow for such a transaction, lawmakers will likely extend that deadline, said Chuck Robuck, director of facilities for the superior court.

But Robuck said the court needs thousands more square feet of office space. It currently leases about 45,000 square feet in four buildings outside the courthouse. The court wants to consolidate operations in a new courthouse, including space for 11 possible new judges and their staffs that might be approved by the state over the next two years.

Another major factor is money. The county is in a budget crunch after the fees from new homes have fallen off and likely can't realize any grandiose plans in the near future.

And while some operations might move out of the central core, such as the Department of Water Resources, leaders say the county will remain rooted downtown.

"It's the center and heart of the city," Dickinson said. "We'll maintain a strong presence."

JeffZurn · #**1714** Posted **Jul 27, 2007, 11:14 PM**

^Good to hear the county thinks the space can be used for something more productive then parking. Lets a hope a couple of developers feel the same way.