UC Davis Medical Center California Tower

UC Davis Medical Center California Tower construction

The 14-story hospital tower is now four years into construction and is expected to be completed in 2030. As you can see from my pictures, the steel frame has made quite an impact on the skyline of the UC Davis Medical Center campus.  

UC Davis Medical Center California Tower construction

UC Davis Medical Center California Tower construction

UC Davis Medical Center California Tower construction

Construction of California Tower seen from Yolo County CR102

Construction of California Tower seen from Yolo County CR102

Sacramento Skyline seen from Yolo County CR102

The Elks Tower

The Elks Tower 921 11th Street, Sacramento

The Elks Tower is currently for sale asking $9.9 million. It’s considered Italian Renaissance Revival high-rise at 14-stories and 110,468 square feet. It’s considered a landmark building and a historic structure and when it was completed in 1926 at a cost of $1.5 million. Standing at 242 feet tall, it is taller than the California State Capitol by five feet.  

State Capitol Annex Project

Capitol Annex construction looking south from L Street

The new California Capitol Annex building will have 537,444 square feet of floor space over 8 stories at a cost of $1.3 billion and counting. Demolition was completed of the 1950's in 2023 on the East side of the Capitol building, which housed the Governor's office and legislator offices. The project’s plans include a new annex and an underground visitor center on the west side of the Capitol and an underground parking garage on the southern side.

Capitol Annex construction looking south from L Street

Rendering of how Capitol Annex could look

Rendering of how Capitol Annex could look

Rendering of how Capitol Annex could look

Rendering of how Capitol Annex could look

UC Davis Medical Center’s California Tower

Looking north from 45th St. on the medical center campus

On the eastern side of the existing UC Davis Medical Center, two tower cranes are in place to construct the 14-story hospital tower. At a total construction cost of $1.2 million (project cost: $3.7 billion), the building will connect to the existing Surgery and Emergency Services Pavillion to over 909,000 square feet of space in the new structure. When completed in 2030, the project will have a total of 334 beds, intensive care, and medical/surgical bed types; 12 hybrid operating rooms; and two rooftop helipads.

Looking east from Stockton Blvd. and X St.

Looking west at 45th and X Streets

Seen from Hwy. 50 and 65th St. looking west

Seen from Hwy. 50 going east

Demolition of Arco Arena Parking Lot

Arco Park in the foreground 

Over the weekend I was driving on Truxel and Del Paso Roads and noticed what appeared to be several giant concrete/asphalt piles while looking west towards the former Arco Arena location. My curiosity made me wonder if they were also removing the unfinished Arco Park stadium foundation. I found no such thing, the Arco Park foundation is still there but 2/3^rd of the parking lot that surrounds the former arena has been removed and roads for the new Innovation Park are being built. The most southwestern part of the land has a proposal for California Northstate University Medical Center project on 25 acers and is expected to generate $4.04 billion in regional economic output in the next 10 years as it’s developed.

1986 proposed Arco Park

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Railyards Sacramento

With the ground breaking in March of this year, the 8-story Kaiser hospital in the River District appears to currently drilling piles into the ground as well as shoring up walls that are below grade. This $1.5 billion project is expected to competed in 2029.

365 Railyards Blvd. Sacramento, CA 95811

Update: Capitol Mall Redevelopment Proposal

 In April of 2021 I posted a grand vision the City of Sacramento has for the scenic Capitol Mall promenade west of the Capital up to the Tower Bridge. The city presently wants to spend $500,000 from Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to move forward with the design. As reported by KOVR 13, the estimated cost to develop this plan could be $16 million, but if you have been paying attention to government spending (like many have) the real cost could be closer to $20 million or more.

The proposed design would be to reconfigure the street  to host large festivals and small farmers markets without shutting down the street. This would include removing 4 lanes of traffic and only have one in each direction, the center median of grass gone, wider sidewalks and another row of trees. I personally prefer  grand approach to Sacramento's Capitol Mall from the west this is a scenic promenade with a two lanes of traffic and a wide center strip devoted to vegetation. Today as we drive across the Tower Bridge, local residents as well as visitors have a clear view of the Capitol. Like I said in the previous post, what planners are doing is social engineering people to change driving habits. After Capitol Mall has the number of lanes reduced, traffic will be worse, hoping this congestion get you out of your car and take public transit instead. Manipulating people, changing behavior. This is happening on many downtown streets, often referred to as a road diet.  Your tax dollars at work as cities shut traffic lanes. On many streets and roads, road diets don't leave adequate capacity for cars and trucks. That pushes traffic onto other streets.

Wells Fargo Tower Sold

The decline of downtown Sacramento and the office market is now more clear than ever. As reported by KCRA 3, Sacramento's tallest tower has sold for a steep decline, a 67% drop in value from what it was most recently sold for. The tower was originally constructed for $120 million in 1992 and sold in 2000 for $130 million. The building was later resold again to to Hines’ Core Fund in 2007 for $237,250,000 million. The 501,308-square-foot was most recently sold to an all-cash buyer for $117 million. 

Resources Building Renovation – Exterior Replacement

1416 9th St. Resources bldg. renovation

The 60 year old Resources Building at 1416 9^th Street is now having the exterior cladding attached. It appears modern and clean, but the exterior has now lost any architectural significance and will soon be a featureless, bland glass tower. The original exterior had character and reflected a time that was the beginning of office high-rises being built in downtown.

1416 9th St. Resources bldg. renovation

The cost to do a total replacement of the exterior must have expanded the overall $461 million renovation costs quite a bit. It was not that long ago in 2010 two 18-story State office towers in downtown were also renovated. Both State offices #8 & #9 at 714 P Street had both interior and exterior upgrades while also keeping the original exterior design. AC Martin rendering

1416 9th St. Resources bldg. renovation

Resources bldg. AC Martin rendering

Resources bldg. AC Martin rendering

Changing Sacramento Skyline

Downtown Sacramento

J Street in Downtown Sacramento

 

Sacramento County Courthouse Construction

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

The New Sacramento Courthouse exterior skin was completed in September of last year as well as the curtainwall installation (except for leaveouts) and Clark Pacific has completed precast panel installation. It appears interior is where much of the work is focused on right now. Opening will likely occur in Q1 2024 per the contractor’s current schedule.

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Sac. County Courthouse looking west from F & 7th Streets

Resources Building $461 Million Renovation - Update

The Resources Building Renovation Project (Project) involves a tear-down of the 17-story 657,000-square-foot building leaving the building’s steel frame, then reinforcement/rebuild matching the current footprint, mass, and height. The Project would include code-required improvements, including seismic upgrade, installation of a building-wide fire sprinkler system, reconstruction of three 17-story exit stair towers, and replacement of asbestos-containing fireproofing. Antiquated mechanical, plumbing, electrical, security, and telecommunication systems will be replaced, completely upgrading all infrastructure systems. The Project will make the building safe while honoring the building's historic qualities.

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Project goal is to achieve Zero Net Energy and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. Project delivery and Completion is anticipated in Spring of 2025, within 42 months of Notice to Proceed (NTP). Project will include exterior envelope replacement, including installation of new roof and insulation, window system, and building skin.

https://rbr.gilbaneco.com/

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento

The Resources Building at 1416 9th Street in downtown Sacramento