LivingInUrbanSac: June 2014

Monday, June 30, 2014

Sac Valley Station Renovations

Sac Valley Station

Scheduled to begin late Summer, the historic Sacramento Valley Station renovation will expand the availability of transit options as well as offer a mix of retail and business uses at the station. Currently the 7^th busiest train station in the nation, some improvements slated to take place at the historic station include new bicycle facilities for storage and bike rental, architectural lighting of the south facade and major public spaces, and upgraded ticketing machines.

Inside the historic facility, the City will be creating a livelier atmosphere, with new office space, new dining terraces, landscaped seating areas, and decorative artwork.

The renovation is funded by a federal grant and local Measure A sales tax.

This project is scheduled to be complete in 2016, the 90^th anniversary of the station’s opening.

$10.5M Structural Repairs to Depot – completed in fall 2013. $30M Historic Renovation of Depot -design underway, completion by late 2014/early 2015.

For more project details, visit Sacramento Valley-Station .

Friday, June 20, 2014

The Warehouse Artist Lofts

The WAL projects expected to be completed in late 2014. This $41 million project continues to build upon the industrial district historical past and supported by the Sacramento art community. When CADA’s WAL is finished, it will have 116 housing units, rooftop deck and 13,000 sf of ground floor retail. The WarehouseArtist Lofts (WAL) (11th & R Streets)

The Warehouse Artist Lofts - 1108 R Street, Sacramento CA

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

WX Freeway Bright Underbelly

Conceived by local arts, a mural project called Bright Underbelly could transform the underside of the W/X freeway with a sprawling sky-blue canopy, bringing new life to the blank concrete surface that looms above where thousands gather every Sunday for the Sacramento Central Farmers’ Market. Renderings of the ambitious 70,000-square-foot piece were released this morning. To paint the mural, approximately $150,000 in financial pledges necessary to bring the mural to fruition.

Information about the Bright Underbelly project and available donor levels can be found at www.brightunderbelly.com, and you can keep tabs on the project's progress at its new Facebook page.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Sacramento Commons

The current Capitol Towers apartment mega block on 7^th Street is slowly going through the review and entitlement process for a pair of 25 story high-rises and 22 story building. The Sacramento Business Journals reporting that the developer, Kennedy Wilson Inc., has released some renderings of the project. No public hearings have been scheduled yet. The proposal includes 1,200 new apartment and all ground floor villas would be demolished. Hopefully this project can break ground before the market correction.

Friday, June 13, 2014

The Metropolitan Comeback?

It appears as if this former proposal that never got off the drawing board in 2007 is going to make another go at it. Sactown Magazine’s reporting that an estimated ground breaking for the tower is on the horizon in 2015. Of course, the economy has to improve further for this proposal to break ground. The housing component is being promoted as “luxury”, does downtown have enough willing buyers make this possible? The last big project that sold units like this was the L Street lofts and it was only able to sell 22 of the 92 units in the building… now they are all rentals and the building was foreclosed on.

Monday, June 09, 2014

16th Street Senior Housing

700 16th St. as Senior Artist Community @ Mansion Flats

The former Clarion Hotel at 700 16^th Street has a mixed use project planned for the site intended for seniors. According the Sacramento Business Journal, the current building would be wrecked and replaced with a four story 156,481sf project that would include 160 living units and ground-level commercial spaces at the corners.

Monday, June 02, 2014

Downtown Plaza is History

Farewell to Sacramento's Downtown Plaza as it once was! Unfortunately over the last 10 years the mall has declined to where more than half the stores are empty, and there is almost no one shopping. I can still feel the vibe of the mid 90’s when America Live was an entertainment destination and the new mall was vibrant, and full of shoppers.