Quote:
Originally Posted by innov8
As you probably know urban, Mayor Joe Serna's in 1993 offered to take $1 for
for Lot A that four years before was bought by the city for $14 million from
David Rockefeller.
EVEN $1 DEAL MAY NOT PUT SHOWPLACE ON LOT A
SERNA OFFER PRAISED, BUT FACES BIG HURDLES
Published on May 26, 1993 Sacramento Bee
Declining real estate values are one thing, but Mayor Joe Serna's offer to take $1 for choice downtown property that four years ago fetched $14 million from David Rockefeller must be a record. Once the city's fondest hope for a landmark skyscraper from one of the world's great architects, the 7th and Capitol parcel known as "Lot A" has soaked up exhaust fumes and parking fees as a city garage since a rotten economy buried the...
May 26, 1993 - Serna's right about the times. Sacramento could have had most of what it wanted back in 1989, with millions in cash for its troubles, but the City Council rejected a proposal from the Lankford & Taylor development firm. It was one of a half dozen proposals to buy the land at market ...
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The city's choice of the Rockefeller/McCuen proposal was also motivated at the time, by the city's desire (or drive) to push Mansard roofs around the downtown area. I like Mansard roofs, but every building constructed downtown didn't (or doesn't) need to be Mansard.
The irony of the final two proposals is that they would have looked good from any direction, unlike many of the projects that get approved today.