Sacramento Proposal/Approval/Construction Thread - III - Page 197

Pistola916 · #**3921** Posted **May 23, 2009, 4:39 AM**

A new downtown high-rise for county courts?

By Bob Shallit
[email protected]
Published: Friday, May. 22, 2009 - 2:14 pm

A downtown block now home to a two-story parking garage is the mostly likely site for Sacramento's next government high-rise: a 12- to 16-story courts building.

As part of a statewide upgrade of more than 40 California courthouses, state officials have been quietly scoping out possible locations to ease the space crunch at the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse downtown on Ninth St.

A couple of sites in the central business district have been considered, and discussions also have been held with developer Thomas Enterprises about building at the nearby downtown railyard site.

But the county-owned block bounded by Seventh, Eighth, G and H streets -- just west of the Schaber building -- is getting the most consideration now, says Rob Leonard, the county's economic developer director and a key participant in project talks.

"If you consider proximity to (the Schaber building) as a driving force, you'd have to say it's the leading contender," Leonard says.

Leonard and officials with the state's Administrative Office of the Courts stress that the process is still at an early stage. Construction on the estimated $540 million project is unlikely to begin before 2012. And it could be delayed further if funds are diverted to ease California's budget crunch.

Leonard sees the building as an economic stimulus and a much-needed design statement for downtown.

One of his goals is to not just "plop down ... another big state compound" in an area already filled with monolithic governmental structures. One option: Build a narrow high-rise for the courts, paired with a building that provides various mixed uses, including housing.

"The idea," Leonard says, "is to bring new life and new uses into that government zone."

ltsmotorsport · #**3922** Posted **May 23, 2009, 7:08 PM**

Well, we can only hope for a project with that quality and mix of uses. We'll see...

innov8 · #**3923** Posted **May 28, 2009, 4:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SacDTRes

Does anyone know who or what is going into 500 CM? The parking garage is open and security is staffing the building 24/7 now, but it still seems to be mostly empty, and I haven't heard any news about tenants.

What I have heard from Rudolph & Sletten is that the owner has four floors
of tenants already moved in. Tuesday was the first day that the building
was occupied with people actually working.

tone1657 · #**3924** Posted **Jun 7, 2009, 4:26 AM**

I visited the url and blogspot says it's no longer there.

innov8 · #**3925** Posted **Jun 8, 2009, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by tone1657

I visited the url and blogspot says it's no longer there.

Yeah, were a little confused as to why it's removed. I'm tring to figure out
how to contact someone as to why... but that's also been difficult. If anyone has
any ideas as to what I can do to fix it, please send me a PM.

UPDATE: It appears Google marked it as spam so I contacted them to restore it back... hope it works.

innov8 · #**3926** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 4:06 AM**

Bob Shallit
L Street Lofts project back on track
Monday, Jun. 8, 2009
http://www.sacbee.com/shallit/story/1929685.html

One of Sacramento city's most bitter - and bizarre - legal squabbles is ending.

Developer Sotiris Kolokotronis last week settled his nine-month dispute with a Los Angeles investment group that backed his prestigious, eight-story condo complex at 1818 L St.

New investors have come in and the L.A. firm - Resmark Equity Partners LLC - is now "out of the picture," Kolokotronis says. Talks are under way to settle a default notice filed by the project's construction lender, La Jolla Bank, and a suit by general Sacramento contractor Otto Construction, says Charles Trainor, Kolokotronis' attorney.

As a result, sales of condo units, which were halted during the Resmark dispute, can resume.

The troubles began last summer when Resmark filed a lawsuit charging that sales were lagging and sought control of the project. In September, Resmark representatives tried to physically take possession of the property, leading to an angry standoff that drew police to the condo site.

"In all the years I've been (in development), I've never experienced anything like this," Kolokotronis says of the dispute. (Resmark officials did not return a call for comment.)

For Kolokotronis, the dispute was all the more frustrating because Resmark was investing money for the Sacramento-based California Public Employees Retirement System, which he had hoped would be more patient with the project's progress.

"That was disappointing." he says.

Kolokotronis and his new, undisclosed partners now face the challenge of selling the remaining 70 units at the 92-unit L Street Lofts complex where Sacramento King Kevin Martin is an owner and Mayor Kevin Johnson is leasing with an option to buy.

"This is not a great market," the developer says. But he's optimistic because the most expensive units already have been sold and a marketing campaign - aborted by the legal battle - can now move forward.

"I think we will be very successful," he says.

TWAK · #**3927** Posted **Jun 9, 2009, 5:24 AM**

give one to me, i'll buy for cheap

joninsac · #**3928** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 1:47 AM**

The new Meridian Plaza Phase 2, now a 25-story hotel & office tower. I love the new design. Looks kinda like a Metro Place Jr.

Images from hornbergerwortstell.com -

Anyone know anything about a hotel project proposed for 8th & L? I stumbled on these renders at Fletcher Farr Ayotte's website. It's a 409-room hotel with a 7-story garage next door. Looks like a Hilton.

Images from ffadesign.com -

innov8 · #**3929** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 2:51 AM**

Nice find joninsac.

Meridian II has improved but they still only made the southwest facing side
towards the Capitol the dynamic side... why is K Street forgotten?

The hotel at 8th & L Street is okay but that garage next to it is a mistake.
This is the same design flaw used for the Library Tower garage at 8th and J St.
The garage leaves much to be desired for what could have been an awesome block.
This proposal shouldhave the garage built underground and below the tower. It looks
as though the garage takes the whole corner of L & 8th Street... what a waste if that happens.

It's good to see something new even if nothing gets built for years.

Majin · #**3930** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 4:15 AM**

Wow MII looks a world better. Very nice, did you see any construction timeframe? The Hilton looks nice too but I agree the garage is 🞵🞵🞵, I would rather they get rid of it completely and just do away with the parking.

joninsac · #**3931** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 4:25 AM**

^ Nope, didn't see anything about a construction timeframe.

ltsmotorsport · #**3932** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 7:01 AM**

Yeah, totally agree with you guys on MII and the Hilton. The garage should be underground like Mike said. Total waste of a 1/4 of a block.

But overall, this is the best thing seen on the Sac section in a long time. Fresh proposals/renderings FTW.

goldcntry · #**3933** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 2:35 PM**

I agree that the garage should be at least partially underground. However, playing devil's advocate, wouldn't there be a huge cost added on with all the water table problems we have downtown and the constant pumping that would be required?

Cynikal · #**3934** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 3:08 PM**

The cost would go up considerably with enough underground parking and someday our property values will make that a viable option. A garage can work in this area if it was wrapped with commercial/retail at the pedestrian level and open to the public. If you are going to make the $35,000 per space investment you might as well open it up to everyone.

ltsmotorsport · #**3935** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 4:25 PM**

So could they make the entrance/exit to the garage in the alley then so commercial would be all along the streetfront?

innov8 · #**3936** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 5:42 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldcntry

I agree that the garage should be at least partially underground. However, playing devil's advocate, wouldn't there be a huge cost added on with all the water table problems we have downtown and the constant pumping that would be required?

Yes, that's true... that's why I also said it could built into (under) the tower like
a majority of other towers in the city. Underground parking could only be
a floor or two while the other five are built into the tower. I would prefer to
see the old structures that are currently at 8th & L St. than another 7 story garage
that wipes out another corner in the central city. If this current option is acceptable
and built, downtown Sac will soon look like downtown Phoenix with huge parking
structures every other block.

Cynikal · #**3937** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 5:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ltsmotorsport

So could they make the entrance/exit to the garage in the alley then so commercial would be all along the streetfront?

Sure, but this alley could be activated for commercial and restaurant use as well. I would trade a curb cut and street entrance for additional pedestrian space if the options were on the table.

snfenoc · #**3938** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 7:04 PM**

Couple of questions:

There seems to be a lot of hotel proposals out there. 10th and K, Capitol Lofts, Avia, I think even the Marshall is/was supposed to have a hotel as part of its remodel, now these....Can we absorb them all?

Also, is the Hilton 8th and L or 8th and K? It looks like K Street.

ltsmotorsport · #**3939** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 7:37 PM**

Yeah, the hotel is at 8th and K, the parking garage is at 8th and L. And all I can think about when I look at those renderings is the parking garage at 10th and L that always sits 1/2 empty (at least every time I've looked).

wburg · #**3940** Posted **Jun 11, 2009, 8:34 PM**

I'd be all for doing away with the parking garage if it meant saving the Bel-Vue, the really nice old building on 8th, and the Hof Brau building (where 815 L around the corner was) although the building on the corner is probably a bit too remuddled to save. The Bel-Vue would be a totally easy remodel into market-rate or mid-income residential units. Also, take a look down that alley sometime: it has a ton of character, leading down to the original street level, and even still has the remains of a retail facade. That would be a killer spot for alley activation, with historic buildings and texture on one side and a big ol' modern hotel on the other--although the alley would make for a good place for access to parking in the hotel structure. Although parking could be very limited at that spot: it's right by both streetcar lines and most bus lines, if one was looking for a place where one could put a skyscraper with drastically reduced parking it's close to ideal.

The Marshall Hotel plans are probably scrapped--they have changed ownership since the plan to demolish the Jade Apts. and hollow out the Clayton/Marshall were floated (and it was only a preliminary plan.) I wouldn't mind seeing it turned into a boutique hotel along the lines of the Citizen, assuming the replacement SRO unit on 7th and H gets built.

In terms of capacity, as people become less interested in the suburbs and more interested in central cities, hotels at the center will probably start to have more appeal than motels out on the periphery. It would be pretty easy to take light rail from Amtrak to a hotel on K Street...kind of the way people used to take the streetcar from the Southern Pacific station to the Hotel Land, or the Clunie, or the Clayton, etcetera.