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West Sacramento: Proposal/Projects and Developments
Being that West Sacramento is really starting to make a push with lots of
great projects, I thought a thread devoted to the west side was needed. This article's in today’s SBJ. West Sac condo tower on tap 150 units will wait for hotter market Sacramento Business Journal by Michael Shaw June 8, 2007 http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/3189/24wesacdg1.jpg The 24-story condo tower would rise above the Ziggurat in West Sacramento. While residential towers have seemingly stalled in downtown Sacramento, a San Diego developer with pension fund backing is seeking approval for a 24-story condominium tower on the West Sacramento riverfront. Fairfield Residential LLC is looking to build a 150-unit development on about 1 acre between the pyramid-shaped Ziggurat building and the California State Teachers' Retirement System's new headquarters under construction. "I don't think you can get a better view from a residential project in the downtown area," said Val Toppenberg, West Sacramento's redevelopment director. The site also abuts West Sacramento's River Walk Park. Fairfield bought the property last year, but the developer said it's likely to wait until conditions are more favorable before building. "We're not going to rush into a bad market," said Dan Milich, development manager with Fairfield. "We're in a position to wait it out. If you're wondering about a groundbreaking, it's too early for that." It's also too early to set prices for the condominiums, he said. Fairfield has time on its side, Milich said, because fees at the site were frozen for 10 years when development agreements were struck. Meanwhile, the project has a mighty equity partner in the form of CalSTRS. The pension fund has partnered with Fairfield before. In 2006, the fund's real estate portfolio included $95.1 million in assets attributed to Fairfield or its affiliates, according to a CalSTRS investment report. The West Sacramento condo tower was originally pitched last year as a 17-story building, but developers decided they needed more stories to make the project work, said Jim Bermudez, associate planner with the city. Fairfield on Thursday was scheduled to seek approvals from the city's Planning Commission for design approval and permission to add seven stories, which would bring the building up to about 240 feet. Planning staff has recommended approval of the changes. The Planning Commission vote was not available before press time. If adopted, the project could go before the West Sacramento City Council within a month. City officials are optimistic that the project won't suffer the same setbacks as high-rise condo projects on the Sacramento side of the river. "Given the nature of the project and the nature of their financing, this probably has an excellent chance of moving forward," Toppenberg said. Fairfield would need to seek a construction loan to build the project, Milich said. Financing of pricey residential projects is scarce these days, judging from the delays and problems with Sacramento's other condo towers. A resurgent housing market, however, might lead to looser lending. Fairfield struck an unprecedented agreement with the city over affordable housing. West Sacramento has a citywide policy that typically requires 15 percent of new housing units to be priced so that low- or very-low-income residents can purchase them. Fairfield, however, does not have to provide affordable units within the tower. For the first time, the city allowed a developer to provide off-site affordable housing to satisfy its inclusionary housing rules. Fairfield paid about $1.9 million to cover the costs of a nonprofit housing agency that acquired 23 low-income studio apartments in the neighborhood that will be refurbished. Now, off-site affordable housing is an approach the city will consider with other riverfront properties, given the premium land costs there and the additional expense for building vertical developments, said Aaron Laurel, with the city's Housing and Community Investment Department. Fairfield develops multifamily housing, ranging from small apartment buildings to high rises nationwide, primarily on the East and West coasts. It often acts as construction manager on its own projects. The site is part of an overall development plan for 18 acres known collectively as Raley's Landing, so named because the development group included Raley's Inc. The overall plan for Raley's Landing was approved last year and includes additional housing as well as office and commercial space on other riverfront sites. Developers involved in other aspects of the plan include Panattoni Development Corp. and Signature Properties Inc. Signature is now planning the first phase of a 7-acre site north of Raley Field and West Capitol Avenue for lots that would house 134 townhomes, with prices starting in the mid $300,000s, said David Nybo, Signature's director of land acquisition and forward planning. The company is seeking tentative map approval from the Planning Commission and if all goes well, could begin construction within a year. Future phases include a neighborhood coffee shop and restaurant, and two mid-rise projects that would bring the total number of units to about 400. Large condo projects have not fared well in the past year. In Sacramento, there has been no word yet from the partners in The Towers on Capitol Mall project -- John Saca and the California Public Employees' Retirement System -- on what will happen with their plans to build twin 53-story condo towers. Saca has failed to come up with enough financing to satisfy the agreement with CalPERS, essentially putting the project on hold. Craig Nassi, the developer of Aura, another high-rise condo tower in downtown Sacramento, has struggled to secure financing for the project since last fall. |
This is definately good news for W. Sac.
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Great news if not great architecture. I'm sure this rendering will not be the final product. I hope it goes through major revision because that looks like 1960's public housing in the Bronx.
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:previous: I was thinking the exact same thing. :haha:
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The design could hopefully get a little better, but it's still great news! I think this will sell nicely.
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West Sacramento selects Baltimore firm for waterfront project
4 miles of riverfront would become parks, housing, retail Sacramento Business Journal - by Michael ShawStaff writer June 22, 2007 The Cordish Co., which has redeveloped waterfront sites and large entertainment districts primarily on the East Coast, has been named the top candidate for master developer of a city-owned, 200-plus-acre project in West Sacramento along the Sacramento River. http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/6741/wsacvk6.jpg The four miles of continuous waterfront property is among the city's prime pieces for redevelopment, though city officials don't have a vision for what will go there. "We don't know of many other places that have this amount of waterfront land under single ownership," said Traci Michel, senior program manager for the city's redevelopment agency. The agency owns the property, known as Stone Lock Bluff. City staff selected the Baltimore developer based on its track record for delivering projects and its financial viability, though the City Council must review the selection at a meeting, likely next month. If approved, the city and Cordish will begin negotiations over developing the waterfront land. Stone Lock is mostly unused land with few areas of public access to the water. It includes the city's wastewater treatment plant that's due to be decommissioned this fall and eventually demolished. "We did not want plans for this site," Michel said of the city's approach of seeking a developer before it had any concrete ideas for the massive project. "We wanted to find the company most qualified to develop it." The city has vague ideas that it wants a large central park of 100 acres or more, a marina and neighborhood-oriented retail as opposed to big-box stores. There could be hundreds or thousands of housing units, depending on the ideas that Cordish, the city and the community generate. The development will cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Initial concepts could be developed by the fall, Michel said. Cordish topped the list of 10 applicants, selected based on a host of benchmarks, including the experience of top management, financial viability, experience working within a public-private venture and superior architectural design. "We're looking for someone who will maintain ownership and continually reinvest in this long-term project," Michel said. The city hasn't yet released the list of competitors for the site, but Signature Properties Inc., which has plans to build in West Sacramento and specializes in urban infill projects, was one of the applicants. "We're not too familiar with (Cordish), but it appears they're involved in quality projects," said David Nybo, director of land acquisition and forward planning for Signature. "We're looking forward to seeing what they'll bring to the community." Cordish is a family-owned company that traces its roots back more than 100 years. Company officials were not available to comment late Wednesday. Its long list of former and current developments include projects in Baltimore's inner harbor and the $650 million ballpark village under construction in St. Louis. "The Stone Lock District presents an opportunity for a new waterfront neighborhood with retail and entertainment concepts that can become the bellwether for West Sacramento," company vice president Blake Cordish said in a news release. "We look forward to working in partnership with the agency, the city and the community." |
Interesting...the train tracks in the illustration are the former right of way of the Sacramento Northern Railway. Some of them are still in use to serve the Port of Stockton and freight customers, but the line south of the lock roughly parallel to Jefferson is actually owned by the city of West Sacramento.
It's an IDEAL place to put a streetcar line, as a third-phase expansion of the system currently being planned. There is open space on either side, originally left clear due to old-school zoning codes and wanting to be away from the train tracks, which might make good spots for TOD mixed-use development trackside. Add that theoretical Broadway Bridge with streetcar tracks down the middle and you've got a great way to provide handy transit and reduce car trips from West Sac to make LPCA happy (or at least slightly less angry.) The tracks behind Stone Blvd. are still used as a switching yard by YSL, so I'm not sure what their plans are there--it's not like an abandoned railyard where they can just tear things up, if they still hope to ship things by rail (the best way to ship things in big quantities) they'll need a yard somewhere convenient to the port and nearby industries. |
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Raley Field diversifies with non-baseball events, upgrades with surrounding projects
By Lakiesha McGhee - SacBee Thursday, June 28, 2007 http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/3293/catsia4.jpg Heather Layman, from Shell Rock, Iowa, scrambled among a horde of River Cats fans at Raley Field to catch her first foul ball. She screamed with excitement and clutched the ball tight to her chest, savoring the moment. But what she will remember most about the West Sacramento stadium, she said, is the park itself. "This is the first minor league baseball park I've been to and I like that it's a little more intimate," said Layman, 29, as she and her friends watched the River Cats play the Tacoma Rainiers last week. Near the entrance to the 14,414-seat stadium, a man nicknamed "The Organ Guy" entertained guests with songs. Children played on inflatable structures in a new Kids Corner while school groups attended an assembly about personal values. Employees from Intel were treated to lunch in the stadium's new barbecue "Bull Pen," which opened at the start of the season for private parties. The evidence is around the stadium: Raley Field isn't just about baseball anymore. Raley Field is owned and operated by the River Cats organization. Team officials are expanding offerings at the stadium to appeal to a broader audience. In the past three years, non-baseball events at Raley Field have nearly doubled -- from 35 events in 2005 to more than 60 this year. Attracting visitors are facility rentals for corporate functions, private parties, graduations, festivals and a growing line of concerts, which often sell out, said Alan Ledford, River Cats president and general manager. International soccer and boxing matches have been scheduled this year to compete for area residents' discretionary dollars, he said. "People don't come here just to watch baseball," Ledford said. "They're here to be with friends, family and co-workers. It's sort of like a town hall for the community." The new attractions are compensating for a drop in baseball game attendance, which fell from 861,808 in 2000 when Raley Field opened to 728,227 in 2006. River Cats management said the team's "honeymoon stage" is over and the decline is typical. The River Cats still have led all other minor league teams in attendance during each of their seven seasons. West Sacramento officials are recognizing the stadium's worth to their growing city. A $5 million street improvement is under way to provide better access to Raley Field and to new housing in the adjacent Triangle area, said Maureen Daly Pascoe, city redevelopment program manager. "Think boulevard instead of freeway," said Pascoe, describing an intersection under construction at Tower Bridge Gateway and the new Garden Street. An overpass at Riske Lane is being demolished. Street signals, sidewalks, bike lanes and trees will take its place, Pascoe said. Construction is expected to be completed by year's end. Future street upgrades to benefit Raley Field will be at Tower Bridge Gateway at Third and Fifth streets, Pascoe said. Other developments include a proposed 2.2-mile streetcar system that would have a stop at Raley Field and link West Sacramento to Sacramento over the Tower Bridge. That project is still in the planning stages. Tower Bridge sidewalks are being widened to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. Raley Field has lured big concert acts such as the Dave Matthews Band from larger arenas such as Arco, which seats 17,317, and the Sleep Train Amphitheatre, which seats 18,500. West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said Raley Field has been a catalyst for the city's revitalization. "Raley Field brought attention to all the possibilities that can emerge on the waterfront," Cabaldon said. West Sacramento and Sacramento in 2003 adopted a Riverfront Master Plan calling for several public gathering places, a pedestrian transportation loop, new marinas, a pedestrian bridge, homes, offices and retail. The Triangle area, southwest of Raley Field, is planned for up to 5,000 homes and 7 million square feet of office space, according to city reports. So far, 189 loft-style homes have been built at the site. "The construction of Raley Field and the success of the River Cats helped establish the area, but it has evolved more slowly than some would have liked," Ledford said. City officials hope new tactics to draw a wider crowd to the stadium will spill over to retailers. Grace Sanford, 87, of Alameda shopped with her niece last week at the Raley Field gift shop. Amid the pickings were a baby pink River Cats T-shirt, meant to attract young girls. "It makes me feel 20 years younger," Sanford said as she held the shirt next to her body. "Maybe more than that." |
Wow, I didnt realize the rivercats attendance was that high. The Devil Rays of MLB only averages 14k per game.
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Yeah the Devils Rays have been a disaster. They use a crappy dome in beautiful Tampa Florida...how stupid is that? With the dissolution of the Expos not too long ago, I wouldn’t be surprised if MLB tries to do something with the Devil Rays.
Anyway I had no idea Rivercats attendance was that high. With minor league attendance that high, one could make a strong argument that Sac could support a major league team...or at least an NFL team. It’s too bad the city prob. couldn't afford to subsidize the construction of a major stadium. |
The expos weren't disolved, they were turned into the Washington Senators.
As far as NFL and MLB, there is no chance as long as there are two teams in each leage playing in the bay area. That's what makes the A's moving to Fremont so disheartening to me. Sac's only chance at this point to improve it's big-time sports offering would be if one of it's college teams joined the WAC or similar conference. I understand that UCD's new football stadium is expandable to 30,000. In order to qualify for D1 college football, you have to play in a stadium that seats at least 30,000, I believe, and have a few years in a row of attendance exceeding something like 20,000. Of course, you also have to have a conference that invites you to join, unless you're Notre Dame ;) That being said, the Sacramento media market would be desirable to any conference wanting to add a team (since all the teams in the conference typically share a large portion of their media revenue) But you have to have a stadium first... If UCD or Sac St. joined the WAC, I would buy 10 season tickets and have the best 4 saturday afternoons known to man every year. 1A college football is the best sport going in the US as far as party atmosphere. Nothing else even comes close in my mind. Man, what I would give to be 25 again... |
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Agree with the WAC on football. UCD certainly has a better shot at the WAC than Sac State. Sac State actually plays in the WAC for baseball and Big Sky for most other sports but not all. As far as basketball, I would have prefered Sac State to play in the WCC or at least the Big West (where I believe UCD begins play in a year or two). Regional rivalries is what makes watching college hoops a little more exciting if you are not in the Big Leagues. As a Sac st alumni, I don't really give a damn that Sac plays the Montanas, Idaho states or Northern Colorado. Would rather see 'em consistently play Pacific, USF, St Mary's, UCD, LB state, San Diego, Cal Poly etc. |
Speaking of Tampa, I think their arena is accessible by their recently completed TECO trolley system, which uses historic and reproduction streetcars.
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Southport conference center, resort planned
By Michael Shaw of The Sacramento Business Journal July 6, 2007 A conference center and spa resort could highlight a massive development just south of West Sacramento and shelve plans for college student housing. Developer Riviera Lakes Joint Venture is still considering an active-adult community -- part of an earlier plan -- but is now proposing to add a resort on 587 acres, said Steve Patek, West Sacramento's community development director. The project has a new name: Vina del Lago. http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4...uthportog7.jpg The developer has also curbed the active-adult community from 2,500 to 2,200 homes and will focus on a resort, possibly including a hotel, instead of the earlier idea called University Park, which focused on student housing. Riviera Lakes officials hope the city will annex the riverfront property. The altered plan comes just as the city decides how it will guide development in Southport, the southern area of West Sacramento surrounded by the Sacramento River and the deep water ship channel. It's been the city's most active site for new housing developments over the past few years. Three large communities, including Vina del Lago, would bring a total of about 8,000 homes. This month, the City Council is expected to determine how it will process applications for those developments, whether to examine them together or individually. The other developments are: Yarbrough Village, a planned lakeside community with 3,004 homes, a public golf course and trails proposed by ASB Properties Investments LLC. River Park, a 2,788-home project along 500 acres of riverfront property proposed by Richland Planned Communities Inc. Richland senior vice president Steve Thurtle said his company remains interested in pursuing its project despite additional costs on developers to improve and repair the city's levees. If the company's project is entitled this year, new-home construction could start in 2009. But construction also depends on an improving new-home market, he said. Patek said if the applications proceed as expected, public hearings on the two developments could be held this year. Vina del Lago's representatives could not be reached for comment this week. City Councilman Mark Johannessen said he wants to know what the developments add to the city before he will consider supporting them. "My main focus is that we need to determine all the development within the next 15 years and see what benefits they'll offer," he said. "It's got to be a net benefit to the city, or why are we doing it?" One of the major concerns is traffic. Adding 8,000 homes would further strain Southport's main thoroughfare, Jefferson Boulevard, Patek said. Dealing with that may be difficult, although city staff are preparing a report that will detail options, such as blocking certain left-hand turn lanes to keep traffic moving. There are no immediate plans to add access points to Southport, which residents reach essentially by one bridge. There had been talk of a new bridge to Sacramento at Broadway, although those plans have cooled in recent months. It would be an issue as well for Vina del Lago, situated south of West Sacramento's city limits. The developers have suggested that they build a levee along the city's new southern border if they're annexed into West Sacramento. Currently, the levee at the city's southern edge isn't adequate flood protection for new homes. Farmers built the levees to protect their fields, not neighborhoods or a resort. Patek said it's not considered a primary levee, meaning that it doesn't abut water, but improvements would be needed to protect new homes. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sa...09/story3.html |
All these proposed developments on the south side of West Sac would really benefit from a new bridge over the Sacramento River. Minus a new bridge there's only Jefferson Blvd for getting out of the area and that street is already overburdened.
I visited the new Super Wal-Mart in West Sac for the first time. It's the nicest Wal-Mart I've seen---wide aisles, very clean and organized. Maybe being next door to Ikea is keeping them on their toes. |
West Sac clean-up
I've actually never ventured into West Sac past IKEA but the other day we drove from downtown to IKEA through the I st. bridge. several observations. we definitely need more bridges. but more importantly. between the river and IKEA/Wal-Mart is a trashy low-income neighborhood. they need to do some serious rehab. it's pretty ugly. For now it seems like all the development is by the freeway or on the riverfront leaving the rest of the city in neglect. there aren't many trees either just a lot of burnt grass. coming from downtown/midtown you feel like you're entering another world.
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[QUOTE=brandon12;2925028]The expos weren't disolved, they were turned into the Washington Senators.
Washington Nationals |
oops. You're right. Sorry about that.
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There are some nice old houses in that neighborhood, many of which have faced decades of neglect, but some are still pretty nice. There are a number of developments going in over there--I'm sure you noticed the cluster of new buildings just west of the bridge. LJ Urban is a big investor over there, and has something like a half-dozen different projects underway in West Sacramento. Part of the challenge they face is that the area is still very economically depressed. However, that's not so different from the way midtown Sacramento looked 20-30 years ago: in the 1980s, if you told people you were moving to midtown Sac people thought you were just crazy. That being said, there is a lot of neat old architectural fabric in the area at the foot of the I Street Bridge (historically known as the Washington district), like the old firehouse (which is scheduled to become a restaurant and wine bar) and the buildings around it, including the little West Sacramento history museum. West of that things get looser--and a lot of those patches of "burnt grass" still flood every year. |
Re. West Sacramento today [...that's not so different from the way midtown Sacramento looked 20-30 years ago: in the 1980's] -To the best of my knowledge Midtown never had a bunch of trailer courts and only a handfull of old homes. I understand the greater point you are making but to be fair Midtown had a lot more to work with in the 1980's than West Sacramento does today. That's not to say it's a problem. Sometimes less is more. It seems like there would be less design constriants since there's so little context to fit into.
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Ziggurat's big brother
There's a new kid on the riverfront as CalSTRS erects West Sac headquarters By Mary Lynne Vellinga of The Sacramento Bee Wednesday, July 25, 2007 http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/3...rstowergq8.jpg The new headquarters for the California State Teachers' Retirement System, above, will rise 280 feet tall next to the ziggurat building, which until now has been the tallest structure on the West Sacramento waterfront. Sacramento Bee/Randall Benton West Sacramento's ziggurat building, long a brash but only child screaming across the river that the city had arrived, is about to get a taller and more subdued sibling. The new California State Teachers' Retirement System headquarters, now rising on the waterfront, will stand 280 feet tall, nearly twice the height of the ziggurat. The $253 million building will contain 18 floors of parking and office space. Its design represents a marked departure in style from the attention-getting ziggurat, which local architects have long loved to hate, but which nonetheless has become one of the best known features of the riverfront. Clad in glass, the CalSTRS building will curve as it approaches the river, coming to a narrow point. The curve will create more views of the river, while the narrow edge of the building facing east will reduce energy use -- one of many green features. Conference rooms will be in the tapered edge, with the best river views. "It will be incredible," said Paul Woolford, director of design for the San Francisco office of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc., or HOK, the international architecture firm that designed the pension fund building. "From the tower, you will be able to see the point at which the (Sacramento and American) rivers converge. "The building is really designed to look like a large, billowing sail of glass, almost as if the wind has caught it," he said. "We took inspiration from the idea that there's this confluence of the rivers, and this is a former shipbuilding site." HOK designed many of the high-rise buildings constructed in Sacramento during the past 20 years, including Esquire Plaza, the Wells Fargo Center and the new office tower under construction at 621 Capitol Mall. Its West Sacramento project, expected to open in spring 2009, is winning praise from some of the same design enthusiasts who dislike the ziggurat. Developer Mark Friedman, who is also pursuing projects on the West Sacramento waterfront, said he likes the building's curved side, and the walking plaza that connects it to the waterfront. "It does a very nice job of inviting people from the street edge to the water," he said. In contrast, the limestone and beige-tinted glass of the ziggurat makes it feel like an isolated object with no connection to the river, he said. "One of the flaws of the ziggurat is it doesn't really respond to the attributes of the site," Friedman said. "What they were trying to do was create a monolithic look that emulated the pyramids." John Packowski of PHA Architects said the CalSTRS building is "striking in its simplicity," although he complained that the north side is too bland. "This is more indicative of where the future of West Sacramento's architecture is going," Packowski said. The city of West Sacramento last month approved a high-rise condominium tower -- also to be financed by CalSTRS -- next door to the new headquarters. More office and residential buildings also are in the works. "The city of West Sacramento is at a transformational point," Woolford said. "I don't think it will be recognized as the same place in 10 years." Yet even as West Sacramento's downtown grows up, Packowski said, it will be hard to obscure the prominence of its pyramid-shaped firstborn in the view from downtown Sacramento. "You're not ever going to not see the ziggurat," he said. West Sacramento's longtime Redevelopment Director Val Toppenberg said the city's handling of development projects has changed considerably since the ziggurat was constructed in 1997. In those early days of cityhood, West Sacramento officials were scrambling to lure some office tenants to the long neglected waterfront. "We were in a much different position in those days," Toppenberg said. The man behind the pyramid was Marc Turtletaub, who built it as a headquarters for the Money Store, which he headed. The project was shrouded in secrecy. The Money Store refused to release public renderings until it was completed. After the Money Store went out of business, the state took over the ziggurat. "The designers of the CalSTRS building worked with the city very closely to come up with a design," Toppenberg said. "On the ziggurat building, the designer and the owners pretty much came up with the building and said, 'Here it is. Take it or leave it.' " Still, Toppenberg says he's personally fond of the ziggurat, which was designed by Ed Kado, the architect who recently proposed building a high-rise on the Capitol Mall with a replica of the Parthenon on top, an idea that was later dropped. "I love it because it was the first building on our waterfront," Toppenberg said. "It created an iconic feature, and it's something West Sacramento has really been able to be proud of." http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/8...rontmapsh6.gif |
:previous: I can't think of any project from HOK that I haven't liked but I'm having a hard time getting a good feel of the scale and look of the project from the renderings put out there. It looks a lot smaller than 280ft. I guess since the building is not a typical verticle rectangle and looks to have quite abit of curves, it looks smaller on paper. Very eager to see them finish the frame..
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I have to say I like the look of the building: the soft, organic curve and glass do kind of make it a bit more part of the landscape than the sore-thumb look of the Ziggurat.
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I think it will look great - especially reflecting in the mornings and evenings. It's good to see some glass-clad buildingd on the west side. They work well with the big sky sunsets we get here in the valley. |
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as wide as you might think... or as I once thought. I guess will know soon now that they have started to erect more steel again this week. It will look nice over there, that's for sure... and I love how it looks already when I see it driving south on I-5. |
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7...gofwestid9.jpg
This is a rendering in the July issue of Comstock Magazine. They have a feature story on the city and weather the waterfront area over there is now starting to get going or is it's another false start... Good read. |
That is HOT! That would make me want to live in W. Sac.
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There has to be some great small business opportunities opening up in that area. The population in the area should see some vital growth. Imagine if the A's move to Raley field! There would be plenty of costumers to cater to!
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Nice looking shots Innov8, that 280ft is going to put some needed elevation in the W Sac skyline
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I'm interested in some of the smaller residential developments going on in West Sac too: the infill that is taking up the gaps between the older homes in existing neighborhoods, which will help sew together the urban fabric. LJ Urban has a big hand in this, and while I attended part of the meeting they held on Monday (and met some of y'all finally) I couldn't stay for the whole thing. Basically they have about half a dozen little projects, residential or mixed use, plus a planned community garden, sticking close to their "eco-urban" model. Most of the projects are within close walking distance of the planned streetcar line, a plus for keeping car traffic to a minimum.
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Woah, that's beautiful! Thanks for posting that rendering. Great update as well! :)
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I really like some of the proposals for west sac. The potential to do some really cool things based on the available infill and the eagerness of the city government there bodes well. It will be very interesting what the west side of the river will look like in 20 years if they continue the momentum of the Raley field area and continue redeveloping west capitol ave. Maybe even quicker if they keep stealing away big retailers like Ikea and investing the tax renue.
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State looking for developers to build its West End
By Michael Shaw of The Sacramento Business Journal August 3, 2007 The state is looking to commercial developers to revive the 1.4-million-square-foot office project in downtown Sacramento known as the West End complex, shelved as a state-financed effort after construction costs spiked. If developers take over the project, it wouldn't necessarily be built on the original sites, which cover 2½ blocks south and west of the Capitol. Officials expect to solicit proposals within a month or so for building the massive complex, designed to house the entire California Resources Agency, which employs 16,000 statewide. Sites could be located within three miles of the Capitol. A request for proposals that would describe the project's parameters awaits approval at key state offices such as the Department of General Services and the Resources Agency, said Anne Cavanagh, the project's program manager within General Services. The state can't build West End for what it now would cost; estimates have risen to $620 million, about 59 percent higher than the $391 million expenditure authorized in 2001. Building at today's higher steel and concrete prices would require reauthorization by the Legislature. But leasing the space after it's built by a commercial developer, with a purchase option down the road, makes more economic sense, Cavanagh said. The project, known as both West End and West Side, originally was envisioned as two buildings, each taller than 20 stories, replacing smaller offices housing different state offices on two city blocks. Developers could submit proposals to build on the original site or elsewhere. Other sites might include the Richards Boulevard redevelopment area, alternate downtown sites or the West Sacramento riverfront, said John Dangberg, assistant city manager of Sacramento. Developers of large office buildings await the specifications. Those guidelines, enough to fill three binders, would likely leave the design details to the developers but require them to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for efficiency and water conservation. "We're very interested," said John Igoe, a senior vice president with Sares-Regis Group of Northern California, which is working with Ramco Enterprises Inc. and Clark Pacific Corp., a maker of precast concrete structures. The latter two control about 8 acres along the "Triangle" area of West Sacramento riverfront that already has entitlements for office space. "We don't yet know what (the state's) schedule is for putting out the invitation," Igoe said. A selling point for the group's property, just south of Raley Field, is the elevation. It sits higher than other areas around the capital and is therefore better protected against flood, said Dan Ramos, vice president at Ramco. The area is expected to get streetcar shuttle service, which might satisfy the state's requirements that the site be located near rapid transit. Ramos said developers are more likely to hold down construction costs and create cost-saving designs than on projects done "in house" by the state. State administrators have met with local government officials in Sacramento and West Sacramento about the project. Les Bowman, redevelopment manager for West Sacramento, said another major property owner in the Triangle, Fulcrum Properties Inc., also has expressed interest. While entitlements already exist, the Triangle needs utilities and roads. Bowman said a future transfer of a large complex to the state has implications on the city's ability to pay for that infrastructure. That's because once a building is transferred to the state, it's removed from the tax rolls. The lack of tax revenue would make it difficult for the city to finance sewers, roads and other public works. Sacramento has also been spreading the word, though officials won't say to whom. "We're contacting others about the project and encouraging them to respond," Dangberg said. Even after proposals come in, likely within 90 days after the request is issued, which is the standard deadline, the Legislature would have to authorize the new project. "In some respects, we're in the same place we were last year," Cavanagh said, referring to the fact that requests for developers' proposals haven't gone out. She expects 10 to 15 responses. As originally conceived, the West End office buildings would have occupied the blocks between N and P streets and 7th and 8th streets. The site also contains the historic Heilbron House, which would have to be preserved or moved. The Resources Agency now has offices in a building at 1416 9th St. and other leased property. http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sa...y3.html?page=1 |
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CalSTRS http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/5...070803foe2.jpg http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/5...070803fzl3.jpg http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/873...070803fuc9.jpg http://img467.imageshack.us/img467/2...070803fbc8.jpg |
good pics Mike. And that Old Sac shot is a bit menacing :D
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It'll give the Darth Vader building a run for its money as a photo hog...;)
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A pic I found on flickr.com from user hollielg of the Triangle Project in West Sac:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y24.../smfday147.jpg |
Taken last week from the top of the current US Bank Tower.
http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9...070824fuj7.jpg http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1...070824fmr6.jpg More... http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...=116795&page=6 |
Great shots Innov8! So it looks like they still have 2 more floors to go?
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Thanks Jeff :)
They have made alot of progress since Friday when I took the shots. It looks like one more floor plus a mechanical floor rising up another 40 feet +/-. It appears as if the last floors is designed to be a meeting room floor because it's got really high ceilings, maybe 25'. To get an idea from the close up above, the tower has risen up three more tower crane sections and has bow or curve at the top for it's final height. |
I took a walk at lunch yesterday when I looked out the window and saw the intersting angles taking shape on top. As soon as I get the pics tweeked, I'll post 'em here.
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Towers on fast track in West Sac
By Bob Shallit - Bee Columnist Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Story appeared in BUSINESS section, Page D1 http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/...ffiliate.4.gif Six high-rises will soon be popping into view in West Sacramento. And no, they're not condos. They're huge concrete silos, the tallest topping out at 222 feet. Located along the Port of Sacramento's shipping channel, the silos will store bulk cement that's shipped here and then trucked to local construction sites. Putting a new mark on West Sacramento's skyline, they'll loom larger than the former Money Store building and the state Capitol. But what's really amazing is how fast these structures are going to zoom into sight. Construction on the Cemex USA project is scheduled to start Sept. 10 and be finished in two weeks. "It will be continuous pour (of concrete), 24 hours a day," says Port Manager Mike Luken, referring to the super-fast construction process. The six silos will go up simultaneously. Circular forms - 60 feet in diameter - will be filled with concrete, then slipped upward as the wall sets. They'll rise about 10 feet a day, until reaching their peak of 162 feet. The central silo, which has a loading elevator in its core, will climb an additional 60 feet. The long-planned project relocates and expands Cemex's current location, which is served by a rail spur going through West Sac's Triangle area near Raley Field. The area is destined for parks, residences and offices, so the spur had to go. Thus the relocation, funded with $16.5 million from the West Sac Redevelopment Agency and Triangle property owners. Cemex is spending at least $54 million more to build what a spokeswoman calls a "state-of-the-art" cement terminal, with eventual plans for aggregate storage and concrete mixing. Once the six silos are completed in October, the Cemex facility will be capable of handling 1.25 million tons of cement, generating about $1.25 million in annual revenue for the port. The Cemex relocation removes a key obstacle to development of the Triangle - and generates needed port revenue. "A win-win," says West Sacramento Redevelopment Director Val Toppenberg. http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/...ffiliate.4.JPG http://media.sacbee.com/smedia/2007/...ffiliate.4.JPG |
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The image looks like the northeast corner of the Triangle.
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7...gofwestid9.jpg Proposed other side of the Triangle SW: http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...leSitePlan.jpg http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...angleModel.jpg Both images were found on a Portland architecture firm's website--GBD Architects. |
Any info when they going to start all this construction in West Sac?
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/7...gofwestid9.jpg |
I think the hotel stuff that Ramos is proposing is a bit off into the future. The proposals on the other side, I believe, were what was talked about in some of the articles above and are dependant on landing some of the state RFPs. I think there is one for the California Highway Patrol and one of the Department of Water and Resources. Both of those projects would be operational within 24 - 30 months. If either of those go, the site could develop organically over the next 5 or 6 years. If neither happen, then it seems like a long wait.
The office market seems very strong in Sacramento but the residential is tough. I found it curious that either of the high-rise towers were taken seriously at all considering there is no precedent for that kind of living anywhere in Sacramento (is there?). Most places do baby steps to figure these kind of projects out and then ramp up the scale over a decade or so. Just seemed like pie in the sky dreams from an outside observer's point of view. |
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