Sacramento County Courthouse Construction

Driving east on Hwy 50 toward two concrete elevator shafts

It appears the Sacramento County Courthouse has almost reached its final height. The steel skeleton for the structure itself is going up around the two concrete elevator shafts that look to be topped out. Completion is scheduled for September 2023.

Sacramento County Courthouse construction

Sacramento County Courthouse construction
seen from the train station

Sacramento County Courthouse construction seen from 7th Street

Sacramento County Courthouse
construction seen from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction seen from the train station

Sacramento County Courthouse construction
seen from the train station

Sacramento County Courthouse construction
seen from the train station

Sacramento County Courthouse construction seen from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction seen from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction seen from I-5

Sacramento skyline from Hwy. 50

Colliers Sacramento Office Snapshot: Q4 2021

The Sacramento office market is continuing to retract as public sector agencies continue to downsize. The national office market posted its first quarter of positive net absorption since the start of the pandemic, while Sacramento has seen seven straight quarters of negative demand and rising vacancy rates. Also noted in the Colliers Sacramento office report, the State of California accounted for a majority of occupancy losses. Read the Sacramento office report here.

Sacramento office market vacancy rate rose to 16.7 percent in Q4 2021

1984 vs. 2022 Sacramento Skyline

Back in 1984 the dominate buildings in the Sacramento skyline were three state offices buildings that were built in 1964 and 1969 and a bluish green private office tower built in 1984 that came to be known as the Emerald tower. Today the skyline has grown equally by both the private sector and government office towers. My favorite is still the Emerald Tower (229 ft tall) also known as West America Bank Building. It’s interesting with the curved glass facing Capitol Mall and the steps moving up to the top of the tower. The skyline has evolved quite a bit in 38 years.

ENVOY Anthem Cathedral Square Construction

ENVOY at 1030 J Street in Downtown Sacramento

A tower crane rises over the 11^th & J Street ENVOY construction site as the seven story building fills a corner that has been an eyesore for decades. After several proposals have come and gone, this project looks to be built with quality materials and should bring a lot of people into the area to live. There will be 153 rentals apartments above the retail on the ground floor. This stretch of J Street is in awful shape, hopefully when this is completed others in the private sector and the city government will push out the undesirables who bring down the area.  https://www.hrgarchitects.com/cathedral-square-mixeduse-apartment

ENVOY at 1030 J Street in Downtown Sacramento

1717 S Street Mixed-Use Construction

1717 S Street Mixed-use housing and ground floor retail

1717 S Street is a residential mixed-use project consisting of 159 affordable housing units and 11,376 SF of ground floor commercial uses. This project broke ground in March of 2021 and is expected to be completed in February 2023. When completed there will be 159 units (16 Studios, 119 One bedrooms, 24 Two bedrooms) regulated at low or very low income levels. The original cost was $62 million, but rising construction costs in the three years before ground breaking caused the price to rise to $80 million.

“Demolition by Neglect” for Capitol Annex

It's becoming very clear that the plan to demolish and rebuild the State Capitol Annex on the east end is the most secretive public project the State has ever tried to slip by the people. The more I learn about this horrible process as it’s slides through the approval process, the more I want it stopped all together. In the latest issue of Sactown Magazine, Rob Turner does some digging and finds that this entire project is being done in seclusion, everything from the underground parking garage to $1 billion cost to build a modern Annex replacement. At this late date in the approval process, neither design for the Annex or the underground garage have been made public.

The whole plan is also ill-timed as the Governor said he wants to explore the possibility of 75% of state workers telecommuting after the pandemic ends. So now should be the time state offices rethink how offices function. Also, as mentioned in the article, the only reason the annexation is in such bad shape is because for 70 years the Legislature found it inconvenient to their calendar to do major upgrades to bring deficiencies up to code along with other improvements. There’s a name for this in the world of historic preservation: “demolition by neglect.” Owners who have neglected historic properties often argue that they need to tear them down because they’re not up to code even if they were the ones who didn’t make those upgrades throughout the life of the property.

I highly recommend reading “No Annexation WithoutRepresentation” in Sactown Magazine.  

https://www.dgs.ca.gov/RESD/Projects/Page-Content/Projects-List-Folder/State-Capitol-Annex-Project

https://annex.assembly.ca.gov/

The ‘California Tower’ at UC Davis Medical Center

There is a new rendering for the proposed 16-story Califrornia Tower at UC Davis Medical Center. Expansion plans are underway for a $3.75 billion, 16-storty hospital tower at 1 million square feet.  Rebuild, Expansion at UC Davis Health

Luxury High-Rise Proposed For Lot X

In a partnership between Southern Land Company and the Sacramento Kings, a 28-story mixed-use luxury high-rise has been proposed at Capitol Mall and 3rd Street in Sacramento. What makes this project unique is that it would be constructed with mass timber. To learn more about this largely untested method, click here.

The Southern Land Company purchased the 2.56-acre site yesterday with great fanfare from nearby Crocker Art Museum and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. The proposal would have 28-floors, 225 luxury apartments and 80,000 sf office space. Construction could begin as soon as 2023 and completed in 2025. At this time, neither a cost estimated or rendering have been given for the proposal.

I think this proposal is ridiculous at a time when nearly 2 million square feet of office space has been put back on the market in the last 18 months. Also, with so many others similar high-rise proposals failing over the years, I wonder what makes the developer this time think 225 high-end renters will want to reside there? Sacramento has successfully built and filled many mid-rises up to six stories, but not high-rises where the costs to build are much greater. Kings press release.

Colliers Sacramento Office Snapshot: Q3 2021

According to the report below, the Sacramento office market has shed 1.9 MSF in the last 18 months. The vacancy rate has risen for six consecutive quarters. The negative impact to the office market has been less severe than markets like San Francisco where the rate has more than doubled over last year.

https://www.colliers.com/en/research...n@colliers.com

The Fruit Bldg. Is Now The Exchange Hotel

This historic 10-story building built in 1914 has been converted from an office building into a boutique hotel. The Exchange Sacramento hotel has 100-rooms, rooftop lounge, basement fitness center and meeting room, and a restaurant and bar on the ground floor. Room rates appear to start at $285 a night an up. 

The Exchange Hotel - 1006 Fourth St., Sac. CA

Read more here: www.bizjournals.com

Sacramento County Courthouse Construction

The Sacramento County Courthouse construction project appears to be poring two concrete elevator shafts and are currently on the 9th or 10th floors. Construction began in November 2020 and is estimated to complete in January 2024.

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking south on 6ht Street

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east from I-5

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking south from 6th Street

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking south from 6th Street

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking south from 6th Street

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking west from Gth Street

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking north from H Street

Seven-Story Residential Project @ 1116 18th Street

Project rendering for 1116 18th Street by SKK Developers

Alfa Romeo Automotive at 1116 18th Street in mid-town Sacramento has demolished in favor of a seven-story residential project. The proposal would have retail/restaurant on the ground floor with the second floor becoming the developers (SKK) new office and then 24 units above. There will be not parking at the building, but across the street at 1801 L Street, parking will be dedicated to this project. Construction could start in late 2021 and be completed in 18 to 20 months. Back when I rode a motor scooter to work I used to bring it in to Alfa Romeo for repairs and tune-ups, really neat guy running the shop and fun place to observe a classic car/motorcycle repair mechanic. It will be missed.

Current automotive shop Alfa Romeo at proposed location

CADA Site 21 - 1330 N Street

It was only three years ago CADA put forth a taller nine story proposal at this location with 92 condos and I thought this was something Sacramento could support. This new proposal for the same location will have 17 condos and 75 apartments with retail space on the ground floor. This revision is proposed by HRGA Architecture and designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and still needs planning permits approved by the city. It appears the materials used for the exterior of the building are a lower quality than the original proposal. 

The A.J. Residential Project in the Railyards

The A.J. residential project in the Railyards

The A.J. is the first residential project at the Railyards to begin construction. It broke ground in August 2020 and is set for completion by Winter 2022. Located at the corner of Railyards Boulevard and 6th Street, the first Railyards mixed-use residential project, The A.J., will consist of 345 residential rental units, 69 of which will be affordable units, and 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

The A.J. residential project in the Railyards rendering

Richards Boulevard State Office Construction

1.3 million sq. ft. state office buildings development that will house several state departments. Currently the fourth mid-rise is rising with the other three buildings have topped out. Completion expected in March 2024.

Richards Blvd. State office construction

Richards Blvd. State office construction

Richards Blvd. State office construction

Sacramento County Courthouse Construction

The Sacramento County Courthouse construction project appears to be poring two concrete elevator shafts and are currently on the 3rd or 4th floors. Construction began in November 2020 and is estimated to complete in January 2024.

Sacramento County Courthouse elevator shafts construction

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking west

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking eest

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking west

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking south

Sacramento County Courthouse elevator shafts construction

Sacramento County Courthouse elevator shafts construction

Sacramento County Courthouse elevator shafts construction

Sacramento County Courthouse elevator shafts construction

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking west

Sacramento County Courthouse construction looking east

Railyards Sacramento County Courthouse Richards Blvd state office Panorama

Draft EIR For Broadway Bridge Project

Both the City of West Sacramento and Sacramento are proposing to construct a new bridge over the Sacramento River south of the Pioneer Bridge (US 50). The proposed Broadway Bridge includes the de-industrialization of West Sacramento’s Pioneer Bluff including the relocation of the Union Pacific Railroad line, acquisition of decommissioning of Shell Oil Facility and Wastewater Treatment Plant. The estimated bridge construction cost is currently $278 million, but that will most likely rise as these things do until a contractor is chosen and date is set to begin. The total length of the project is one mile from 5^th Street in Sacramento to Jefferson Blvd. in West Sacramento. The new bridge will also have a movable bridge span to allow larger boats to pass through the area. After scanning the EIR and other related documents, it appears construction might be completed between 2025 and 2030. The comment period is from July 7 to August 23, 2021 at mccoyj@cityofwestsacramento.org.

https://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/home/showpublisheddocument/12395/637611973413427204

https://www.cityofwestsacramento.org/government/departments/capital-projects-and-transportation/projects/broadway-bridge-projects

http://www.cityofsacramento.org/Community-Development/Planning/Environmental/Impact-Reports

Colliers Sacramento Office Snapshot: Q2 2021

If you enjoy seeing a few cranes dot the Sacramento skyline, soak it up now while the market corrects. Below are some highlights from Colliers International Sacramento new quarterly report.

Colliers reports mentions that the market has seen 1.65 million square feet of occupancy loses since Q2 2020 as companies continue to adapt to remote work and hybrid models. Historic comparisons had the over all vacancy rate in Q2 2020 at 13.4% and todays in now 16.3%. The State of California , Sacramento's largest office occupier, still has roughly three-fourths of it's 230,000 employees working from home. In addition, the State is vacating large blocks of leased space to move into new construction or to consolidate it's office real estate. 

There are a few positive developments, the Sacramento Kings gifted 35 acers to California Northstate Hospital to construct a major teaching hospital that could bring 3,000 jobs to the vacant Sleep Train Area site. There is also the outsourcing technology company HCL plans to bring 663 new jobs to the Sacramento area over the next four years. To read the full office market repot by Colliers Sacramento by Bob Shanahan click here.