tuy
03-14-2007, 07:53 PM
Ok, starting a new thread for Stockton/Modesto/Merced Developments. Neither of these three have news very often, but together they may be able to support a thread.
Stockton housing may head skyward
Downtown's tallest building could get residential lofts
By David Siders
Record Staff Writer
March 14, 2007 6:00 AM
STOCKTON - Downtown's tallest building, Sutter Office Center, could be remodeled to include residential lofts, city officials said.
The owner of the 12-story building at Miner Avenue and Sutter Street told Stockton Redevelopment Director Steve Pinkerton on Tuesday that he likely will propose such a plan, Pinkerton said.
A representative for the owner, listed as Sutter Office Center, did not return a call for comment.
The City Council on Tuesday designated for redevelopment the 1927 building, formerly the Medico-Dental Building, and the city block on which it stands.
The action amounts to a request for proposals from developers who might renovate the block.
The block, just north of the Downtown Transit Center, is one the city has long sought to rebuild. It includes the vacant Ambassador Motor Hotel, Torino's restaurant and a handful of shops.
"I've tried to explain to them (Sutter Office Center) how important it is for us to have something happen there," Pinkerton said.
Pinkerton said Torino's and existing stores likely could be included in any development.
The city's primary interest, he said, is in renovating the Sutter Office Center and Ambassador Motor Hotel, both of which are owned by the owner of Sutter Office Center, officials said.
If the block is renovated and lofts are built in Sutter Office Center, it would be a victory for civic leaders who have sought at least since 2001 to build homes downtown.
The council's action Tuesday did not endorse a specific plan or even address housing.
Mayor Ed Chavez said any plan will depend on what a developer can do.
"I think the market's going to drive it," he said.
If lofts can be done, "the views would be awesome," Downtown Stockton Alliance Executive Director Kathy Miller said. She said, "The sunsets would just be fantastic."
The council has not mulled taking property on the block by eminent domain. Nor have property owners said they fear it.
Torino's owner Dion Santoyo said his restaurant could benefit from residents nearby. And he said downtown's image could, too.
The former Medico-Dental Building has been considered a suitable place for housing before. In 1978 the building's owner - with council support - sought to convert it into an apartment complex for the elderly. Nothing came of that effort.
Four years later the council named the building a historic landmark. It was designed by Stockton architect Frank Mayo, who also designed the San Joaquin County Courthouse.
Stockton housing may head skyward
Downtown's tallest building could get residential lofts
By David Siders
Record Staff Writer
March 14, 2007 6:00 AM
STOCKTON - Downtown's tallest building, Sutter Office Center, could be remodeled to include residential lofts, city officials said.
The owner of the 12-story building at Miner Avenue and Sutter Street told Stockton Redevelopment Director Steve Pinkerton on Tuesday that he likely will propose such a plan, Pinkerton said.
A representative for the owner, listed as Sutter Office Center, did not return a call for comment.
The City Council on Tuesday designated for redevelopment the 1927 building, formerly the Medico-Dental Building, and the city block on which it stands.
The action amounts to a request for proposals from developers who might renovate the block.
The block, just north of the Downtown Transit Center, is one the city has long sought to rebuild. It includes the vacant Ambassador Motor Hotel, Torino's restaurant and a handful of shops.
"I've tried to explain to them (Sutter Office Center) how important it is for us to have something happen there," Pinkerton said.
Pinkerton said Torino's and existing stores likely could be included in any development.
The city's primary interest, he said, is in renovating the Sutter Office Center and Ambassador Motor Hotel, both of which are owned by the owner of Sutter Office Center, officials said.
If the block is renovated and lofts are built in Sutter Office Center, it would be a victory for civic leaders who have sought at least since 2001 to build homes downtown.
The council's action Tuesday did not endorse a specific plan or even address housing.
Mayor Ed Chavez said any plan will depend on what a developer can do.
"I think the market's going to drive it," he said.
If lofts can be done, "the views would be awesome," Downtown Stockton Alliance Executive Director Kathy Miller said. She said, "The sunsets would just be fantastic."
The council has not mulled taking property on the block by eminent domain. Nor have property owners said they fear it.
Torino's owner Dion Santoyo said his restaurant could benefit from residents nearby. And he said downtown's image could, too.
The former Medico-Dental Building has been considered a suitable place for housing before. In 1978 the building's owner - with council support - sought to convert it into an apartment complex for the elderly. Nothing came of that effort.
Four years later the council named the building a historic landmark. It was designed by Stockton architect Frank Mayo, who also designed the San Joaquin County Courthouse.
