3rd and J (San Francisco, Sacramento, London: apartment, hotel, neighborhoods)

[Majin]

For starters, how the F did that dennys, that is actually below grade, even get built at the entrance to downtown in the first place? One of the greatest mysteries of the universe and its probably the absolute worst thing you can see when you exit I5 into downtown. What were they thinking when they approved that POS there (ib4wburg). I rather have a pile of dirt there than that current mexican place or whatever it is.

But going forward, what exactly are we going to do about this property? The entrance to downtown should be a lot more grand than it is and that building really gets in the way. I can foresee the Holiday Inn to the right actually building vertically on the property the own since right adjacent to the curb is just the convention area and a parking lot. But obviously joes mexican diner or whatever that thing is will need some kind of eminent domain-forced sell to some developer.

I actually would be for a eminent domain and have the city raze the building until a developer comes up with a decent proposal.

[NickB1967]

Originally Posted by Majin

For starters, how the F did that dennys, that is actually below grade, even get built at the entrance to downtown in the first place? One of the greatest mysteries of the universe and its probably the absolute worst thing you can see when you exit I5 into downtown. What were they thinking when they approved that POS there (ib4wburg). I rather have a pile of dirt there than that current mexican place or whatever it is.

Gee, maybe it was built because people traveling on I-5 might want to stop and have a bite to eat?

Given the pagoda-like high-rise nearby and the architecture of the buildings, I think they were trying for a little Chinatown at one time.

But let's get real. You want to take away a productive business via "eminent domain" and have the SHRA acquire yet another vacant lot. Because that is working so well for K Street and Del Paso Boulevard.

Originally Posted by Majin

But going forward, what exactly are we going to do about this property? The entrance to downtown should be a lot more grand than it is and that building really gets in the way. I can foresee the Holiday Inn to the right actually building vertically on the property the own since right adjacent to the curb is just the convention area and a parking lot. But obviously joes mexican diner or whatever that thing is will need some kind of eminent domain-forced sell to some developer.

And people wonder why Kelo v. New London was such a dreadful court decision...

How about dealing with the still vacant holes in the ground at 3rd/4th and L/Capitol first? Or K street, which has been semi vacant for at least two decades? To say nothing of the vast former Railyards.

When there is so much else to be done, first, you really want to get upset about *this*?

And how about letting the property owners do the best they can with their property?

[Mr. Ozo]

Used to always go that Denny's drunk at 3am in my younger days. It was basically the only thing open in Downtown past midnight for years.

[xeney]

It's been Perko's Cafe for quite a while -- I think it's attached to the Vagabond Inn or whatever that hotel there is. It is always packed. I agree that it's not very impressive, but it seems to be filling a niche.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Majin

For starters, how the F did that dennys, that is actually below grade, even get built at the entrance to downtown in the first place? One of the greatest mysteries of the universe and its probably the absolute worst thing you can see when you exit I5 into downtown. What were they thinking when they approved that POS there (ib4wburg). I rather have a pile of dirt there than that current mexican place or whatever it is.

But going forward, what exactly are we going to do about this property? The entrance to downtown should be a lot more grand than it is and that building really gets in the way. I can foresee the Holiday Inn to the right actually building vertically on the property the own since right adjacent to the curb is just the convention area and a parking lot. But obviously joes mexican diner or whatever that thing is will need some kind of eminent domain-forced sell to some developer.

I actually would be for a eminent domain and have the city raze the building until a developer comes up with a decent proposal.

Funny, a few months back, I walked around all those buildings including the Chinese subterranean village which is actually quite interesting, but very run down. I did note the below grade nature of the "Denny's" and the Vagabound Inn which is always full.

The Chinese village was quite forward thinking, lots of housing in a small space, vertical, interesting architecture, mixed-use, all in central downtown decades before it was popular. There is a library/chinese cultural center located down there. Several 90 year old folks and one young chinese guy reading Chinese newspapers at a table in the building. It was a time-warp, like 1970's Chinatown-SF. There were or are a few restaurants , at one time Chinese, now Thai or some other Asian and a run down Mexican restaurant. They were closed when i walked by.

[wburg]

The two blocks between 3rd/35th, I and J are a little Chinatown built in the heart of what once was a large Chinatown during the previous 120 years, called "Yee Fow" or "Second City" (we were the second biggest Chinatown in the state, after San Francisco.) The Confucius temple on I Street was already there (I think it dates from about 1960) but the rest is the result of a redevelopment project in about 1970-71, driven by the Chinese-American family organizations who owned the property, and changes in redevelopment law that moved away from the "destroy all the housing and replace it with offices" model that leveled Japantown. The buildings were designed primarily by two local Chinese-American architects, including two apartment buildings, a bank, family association buildings and restaurants. But their location in between two busy streets, which limits pedestrian traffic, and the relative lack of other residential uses on that end of downtown Sacramento, makes restaurants in that center a rough business. Many of the buildings are old Chinese family association headquarters and I think they still have that use. There is a little gift shop that sells Chinese art and statues, incense, books, and "Yee Fow" T-shirts. The museum/cultural center is interesting but it's only open a few hours a week. They have a big annual fair there, with live performances and vendors, but the rest of the year it's pretty quiet.

The below-grade level is the remnant of an even older idea, a mid-1950s redevelopment plan that included a small underground bazaar, at Sacramento's original street level, with Chinese, Mexican and Japanese restaurants, as a small measure of tribute to the Chinese, Mexican and Japanese neighborhoods demolished to make way for redevelopment.

And yes, there was a Denny's (now a Perko's) on 3rd Street because putting a 24 hour diner with parking right off the freeway was (and is) often considered a good idea, even in a downtown. What's not a good idea is the fact that they don't stay open 24 hours, I am told because of the influence of Convention & Visitors Bureau types who think late-night/24 hour businesses are tacky and draw the wrong element (the same folks protested opening a downtown 7-11 because they thought it would give visitors at the convention center a bad impression of Sacramento.) I don't get it, but then I like going to 24 hour diners late at night.

I know Majin is fond of piles of dirt, but don't worry Majin, there are plenty of piles of dirt for you to admire and fantasize about the skyscrapers that will magically jet out of the ground if you just wish hard enough.