I've always thought 10th - 13th could and would be great dining, nightclub and theater district. This plan definitely solidifies that with the addition of the Ella's, Cosmopolitan, Parlare, and these venues joining long-time stalwarts like The Crest, Community Center Theater, and even Imax Now just a couple more small theaters in the mix.
Hopefully at some point if the 700 and 800 block develop into a retail stretch, to fill the other part of that.
I find Mason's comments a bit odd, especially considering he just opened his new venue MIX early this month. If we have learned anything from Westfield, competition is a good thing.
One thing I will say is more housing or hotels in the immediate area would sure help these business out. There is still a lot of redevelopment funds that have been set aside for housing, but nothing has panned out yet.
I've been hearing about an imminent announcement for a hotel project on the corner of 10th and K for a few months now, but still nothing. The group is Tony Giannoini and the group that did the Ross Atkins remake on 10th and K.
I assume this money is coming from the funds set aside from the Sheraton sale, but 5.4M, plus what I am sure will also include the buildings themselves, sure does sound like a lot of redevelopment money for a couple new night spots. I really hope the city is getting the same type of agreement where they share in the profits over a certain amount.
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Mermaids, dancing, pizza tossing? Developer reveals plans for new downtown nightspots
By Bob Shallit
bshallit@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jan. 16, 2009
Mermaids on K Street? Believe it.
Sea nymphs swimming in an aquarium behind a bar is one element of an audacious - and very serious - proposal for a new entertainment complex in downtown Sacramento.
The proposal from acclaimed San Francisco nightspot owner George Karpaty also calls for a dance club targeting the "30s-and-over" set and a pizzeria known for its "dough acrobatics."
The complex would go into three storefronts between 1016 K and 1022 K St. and could be open by the end of this year, says Sacramento developer David Taylor, whose company is negotiating to acquire the proposed project site from the city's redevelopment agency.
That opening date is contingent on the city investing $5.4 million in redevelopment funds. The matter will go to the City Council next month.
Karpaty, who owns Ruby Skye and several other Bay Area nightclubs, says he's been looking for opportunities in Sacramento for two years and learned about the K street site last summer.
"It all just sort of fit together," he says of his plans, which include.
- Frisky Rhythm, a nightclub with plenty of seating, celebrity DJs and music that, Karpaty says, "gets 30-year-olds tapping their feet."
- Dive Bar, a "rustic" drinking spot, with a back bar aquarium that would be occupied at random times by women in mermaid costumes.
"We're going to create a buzz," Karpaty says. "People will be saying, 'Have you seen the mermaid?'" Instead of a juke box, the bar will have an oversized "flawless replica of an iPod." Guests could plug in their hand-held devices and play their own tunes, he says.
- Pizza Rock, an eatery by owners of Castro Valley's Pyzano's Pizzeria, known for the dough-spinning antics of owner Tony Gemignani, who promises the same kind of show here."Think of what the Harlem Globetrotters do with a basketball. We do it with pizza," Gemignani says.
Backers of the Karpaty proposal have kept a lid on the project - until now. But some local club owners fear it could cannibalize a shrinking market.
Mason Wong, owner of Mason's restaurant and the Park Ultra Lounge nightspot, says downtown and midtown already have "too many restaurants, too many bars and too many night clubs."
But Taylor, whose company is developing the project with CIM Group of Los Angeles, says Karpaty has the creativity and promotional chops to bring many more people to downtown, benefiting all. "He adds a whole new level of energy and marketing expertise," he says. "That can only help."
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