Old Sacramento (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Carmichael: apartment, rent, condos)

[wburg]

Midtown has always had a lot of small specialty retail, but the appeal is kind of different--the customer who shops at Forever 21 isn't necessarily the same customer who shops at Midikat or Cheap Thrills. Plus a lot of those openings are turnover--in the last month we lost Bows & Arrows and Thunderhorse Vintage, just as other boutiques were opening up. 10-20 years ago there were a comparable number of boutiques and small shops, maybe even a few more, as the central city population was higher in 1990 than it was in 2010 and could support more stores. Today it seems like there are relatively few retail shops opening, mostly restaurants and bars, with a lot of turnover because they're competing for a small residential market and a visitor market that usually shops and dines closer to home, only occasionally coming downtown. As I have said before, one downtown resident (or "downtown adjacent") is worth 20 or so visitors from the suburbs in terms of economic activity. It's tough to tell, but with the end of the economic downturn, occupation of buildings that were vacant in 2010 and new residential construction, we may already be up to the central city's 1990 population of 32,000 again--if not already past it. As we get more population, the neighborhood's ability to support more stores increases, and hopefully there will also be stores that provide basic needs in addition to specialty retail, dining and entertainment, where we are already the regional leader.

The "downtown adjacent" neighborhoods did grow dramatically in the past decade, by about 15%, which is part of why you see so much new commercial activity on corridors like Freeport, Franklin, Folsom, Riverside and J Street. There are also infill projects in those neighborhoods: McKinley Village gets a lot of the attention but there is also a residential neighborhood planned for the Sutter General site, an apartment building planned at Alhambra and I where there was a small motorcycle shop surrounded by long-bulldozed lots, and there is a lot of sniffing around at vacant lots anywhere surrounding 95816. People often describe Township 9 as "downtown" but, really, it's as far from downtown as East Sacramento or Land Park. We'll see if they get underway with housing...and start running the Green Line more often than once every 30 minutes, or later than 7 PM so people who live in T9 can get downtown via light rail at least as late as those in Midtown (which still stops around 11 PM, sadly.)

I'm definitely paying attention to the rehab and new construction activity through the central city too. Legado de Ravel is almost done, they have taken down the construction fencing and you can walk on that side of 15th again. The new-construction part of WAL is almost as high as the old warehouse, and 16 Powerhouse finished its second floor of concrete. The Warren is supposed to break ground in the spring. But everything mentioned in this paragraph are CADA projects, and CADA's authority stops at N Street--SHRA is less proactive about building new downtown housing or maintaining their old buildings for residential use. On the other side of the Capitol, there isn't much activity in terms of residential except rehab of the Ridgeway Hotel, and the current proposal to turn the old Hall of Justice into apartments. And yeah, I really should make a list of all the successful new projects and rehabs in the past 10-15 years, so I can wave it at people who claim "nothing" has happened in downtown Sacramento.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

I'm definitely paying attention to the rehab and new construction activity through the central city too. Legado de Ravel is almost done, they have taken down the construction fencing and you can walk on that side of 15th again. The new-construction part of WAL is almost as high as the old warehouse, and 16 Powerhouse finished its second floor of concrete. The Warren is supposed to break ground in the spring. But everything mentioned in this paragraph are CADA projects, and CADA's authority stops at N Street--SHRA is less proactive about building new downtown housing or maintaining their old buildings for residential use. On the other side of the Capitol, there isn't much activity in terms of residential except rehab of the Ridgeway Hotel, and the current proposal to turn the old Hall of Justice into apartments. And yeah, I really should make a list of all the successful new projects and rehabs in the past 10-15 years, so I can wave it at people who claim "nothing" has happened in downtown Sacramento.

Isn't this where we want all the higher density housing anyway --- west of 16th -- that way the nimby's in midtown won't complain -- as much.

I've seen the plans for the WAL- only the new building, but not the actual plans for the old building(s).

Sidenote: So far every single small business person I've spoken with in midtown is very excited about the new Arena. I've played devil's advocate and expressed potential cons with the Arena - everyone seems on board. Also, I've spoken to people out in the burbs like Carmichael and El Dorado Hills who were clearly negative and/or indifferent about the Arena just a few months ago -- seems like over night, they've gone from anti-arena or indifferent to excited and "can't wait till it gets built".

Where is the Ridgeway Hotel and Hall of Justice?

[wburg]

Ridgeway Hotel is 12th and I Street, Hall of Justice is 6th and H Street--behind the jail.

The zoning map for the central city allows for the highest residential densities in the central business district--450 housing units an acre. Currently, there are about 7 units per acre, not counting the jail. Densities drop as you go farther out from the central business district--100 or so along the business corridors, 35 in the "traditional neighborhood medium" zone in Midtown, Southside and Alkali/Mansion Flats. Actual residential density varies from 12 in Southside Park to 20-24 in Midtown proper, the highest density is 32 per acre in the area around Fremont Park (primarily CADA's territory) as of 2010. So basically, Midtown varies between 50% and 90% of its theoretical maximum density--while the central business district is barely at 2%.

Outside the grid, neighborhoods like East Sacramento, Land Park and Curtis Park are zoned for 8 units an acre, even though some of them are actually more densely populated than that--except for much of Oak Park along Broadway, zoned like Midtown. So while many might be hard pressed to tell the difference between Midtown and Curtis Park, they are zoned for a quarter of the density.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

Ridgeway Hotel is 12th and I Street, Hall of Justice is 6th and H Street--behind the jail.

Is the Hall of Justice on the east side of 6th, opposite it would be the Federal Courthouse?

Does the Ridgeway Hotel have a thai restaurant on the bottom?

[wburg]

That's it--the other neighbor is the old PG&E Powerhouse. The Thai restaurant you're thinking of is in the ground floor of the Congress Hotel. The Ridgeway is the one with the bay windows half a block south.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

That's it--the other neighbor is the old PG&E Powerhouse. The Thai restaurant you're thinking of is in the ground floor of the Congress Hotel. The Ridgeway is the one with the bay windows half a block south.

I don't think I've ever seen this structure. Ridgeway Hotel - 1930's? What will be the Sq. footage on each unit? 1 and 2 bedroom, studios?

[wburg]

If you have been to the train station you've been past it--just past the foot of the new bridge over the tracks into the Railyards. The building has a modern addition on the back (on the side closest to the jail) from its days as the county law library From what I have heard they are looking at market-rate apartments. Being wedged in between the jail and a federal building might be a hard sell, but since the tracks were relocated there is less train noise. And for someone who wants to live in the heart of downtown and has some means, there aren't many other options planned yet.

The Ridgeway Hotel is closer to 1910-1915, not 1930s. I think around 400-500 sf for each unit, studio efficiency apartments around $600-700 per month. Still a vast improvement over its previous configuration, with rooms around 100-150 square feet each, a bathroom down the hall on each floor, and no kitchen facilities.

Other than that, the only thing on the books is the 700 Block of K Street, which is still waiting on resolution of California's redevelopment mess for part of its financing. That adds 150 or so apartments, studios to 2 bedrooms, of mixed income levels.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

If you have been to the train station you've been past it--just past the foot of the new bridge over the tracks into the Railyards. The building has a modern addition on the back (on the side closest to the jail) from its days as the county law library From what I have heard they are looking at market-rate apartments. Being wedged in between the jail and a federal building might be a hard sell, but since the tracks were relocated there is less train noise. And for someone who wants to live in the heart of downtown and has some means, there aren't many other options planned yet.

Yes, i know this building now, just a couple of weeks ago I noticed it and I was impressed. Great location if you work downtown. I personally would not like the lack of light, the idea of jail behind me is kind of weird, sercurity camera from the Fed Courthouse might detour street thief though. Interesting history, definitely should be saved.

Originally Posted by wburg

The Ridgeway Hotel is closer to 1910-1915, not 1930s. I think around 400-500 sf for each unit, studio efficiency apartments around $600-700 per month. Still a vast improvement over its previous configuration, with rooms around 100-150 square feet each, a bathroom down the hall on each floor, and no kitchen facilities.

I suspect some type of exterior changes occurred throughout its history, love the size and silhouette and the ivy growing on it. Does it have an interesting history? It should be saved, but who will pay for it?

Who wants to live in 400sq feet?

Originally Posted by wburg

Other than that, the only thing on the books is the 700 Block of K Street, which is still waiting on resolution of California's redevelopment mess for part of its financing. That adds 150 or so apartments, studios to 2 bedrooms, of mixed income levels.

Nightmare situation of why people think Sacramento can't get anything done. Why are you so big on low income housing? Big heart? Yes, limited income folks need a place to live, a nice decent place to live.
But how do you answer to the folks who live in the same building who have to pay 35% more for the same place and have to live with (some) folks who don't work and live off the cheap in the same place as you or I would live.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

Plus a lot of those openings are turnover--in the last month we lost Bows & Arrows and Thunderhorse Vintage, just as other boutiques were opening up. Today it seems like there are relatively few retail shops opening, mostly restaurants and bars, with a lot of turnover because they're competing for a small residential market and a visitor market that usually shops and dines closer to home, only occasionally coming downtown.

I've noticed the turnovers they seem to happen overnight and quickly, expecially if it's a good location.
Remember the French place with the fantastic bar - excellent coffee drinks, sort of french bistro items sandwiches and pastries - Le Petite Paris, now it's an Italian Gelateria - Devine.

Place across 19th street safeway is closing, too bad.

And, Art spaces come and go all the time.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by wburg

The Ridgeway Hotel is closer to 1910-1915, not 1930s.

This humble building amongst hundreds of others including lot size and clearance between buildings, and the sheer number of first rate architectural styles shows that Sacramento started as true urban, lively town and always was - this misnomer of being an agriculture-cow town is so mis-leading. The progressive area politics through the politics of the first Brown and Brown Jr. Streetcars, trains, riverboats all elements of a culturally interesting urban city back in the day.

The silhouette and size is very urban: european, east coast big city, chicago, etc.