Do you care about sprawl in the greater Sacramento area?  We need more infill projects, not large developments outside of urban areas.  Especially when those areas do not have the infrastructure to support the growth.  Rancho Murieta is one such area.  For those that are not familiar with Rancho Murieta, it is located about 25 miles from downtown up Jackson Highway.  Developers want to build thousands of new homes in Rancho Murieta.  In addition to destroying the topography and cutting down thousands of oak these news homes will increase sprawl …

I just read a story from the Associated Press and the title was Sacramento Losing ‘Cow Town’ Status, People Outnumber Cows In Sacramento County 22 To 1.  I have heard Sacramento referred to as a cow town or SacraTomato, but I have never really understood the cow town comment.  I lived in the area all of my life and while some parts of the county have a bunch of cows there are hardly enough to be our mascot and I have never seen a cow in the city limits.  If …

John Saca has defaulted on $22 million loan and contractors have filed liens against Saca for unpaid bills totaling over $13 million.  So $35 million in bad debt and Saca has yet to even pour the foundation.  The 400 people who have deposits on the Towers project must be a bit pissed off.
Ted Eliopoulos of CalPERS offered Saca a deal that would allow him to retain a financial stake in the project but give control to another developer.  Saca rejected it, saying the pension fund had not offered him a …

Even as city officials Tuesday welcomed news that a last-minute land agreement had saved downtown’s high-profile Aura Condominiums project from collapsing, they went to court in a scramble to salvage a crucial K Street redevelopment plan.
With the future of blighted K Street and more than $24 million in taxpayers’ money on the line, the city Tuesday sued a local development team headed by Moe Mohanna and John Lambath to force them to go through with an agreed-upon land swap.

The Sacramento city council voted to loan developer Craig Nassi $10 Million in a move that we encouraged in an earlier post.  The 39-story Aura project is expected to cost up to $177 million. Nassi’s current investment and financing comes up $10 million short.  According to the city staff report, the foundation for the Aura project must be poured by April to deliver finished condos within three years as agreed upon by the roughly 175 buyers who’ve already put down deposits.  In recommending the loan for the Aura project, city …

Who knew Sacramento had a vast tunnel system underground?  I knew that the street elevation in Sacramento was much lower many years ago, but I did not know there were still tunnels underground.  Apparently the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation is trying to launch a permanent tour of the tunnels by this spring.
The tunnels are a result of the city trying to raise the street level 10 -12 feet 145+ years ago.  In the 1860’s and 1870’s the city streets were raised to combat the flooding that Sacramento endured.  There were …

The Aura condominium project in downtown Sacramento still needs funding.  Craig Nassi, of BCN Development in Denver is attempting to get a $9.6 million loan from the city of Sacramento.  The Sacramento city council will consider the request next Tuesday.  While I am not sure of all the financial details I highly encourage the city to grant the loan since it would be a short term construction loan.  Nassi would still need to secure $150 million in loans within 90 days.  If the Aura was built the city would garner …

The skyline of downtown Sacramento is expected to undergo some major changes in 2007 with nearly four dozen projects underway or slated to begin in the coming months.
“Downtown is becoming the heart of the region with these projects. I think it’s an exciting time for us,” Sacramento Downtown Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault said. “This is the year where we set the groundwork for much bigger things.”
Ault said 45 downtown construction projects are currently completed, in progress, or planned for the new year. By year’s end, the downtown area will …

The development surrounding the old Globe Mills in the Alkali Flat neighborhood is underway. The 90 year old building is in a less than desirable neighborhood and the decrepit building is not helping the look of the area. I spent many summers at 12th and C Street, the old Safety House warehouse. Safety House has been gone for years, but I still remember seeing the Globe Mills building as a kid. There was also a great little dive called the Torpedo Place and it too has …

I looks like the Marriott Sacramento has reached it’s height potential.

   
Looks like they have moved at a decent pace.  I sure hope the outside of that building will get a little architectural diversity.  As it looks today it looks pretty darn bland.
[tags] Sacramento, Marriott, Sacramento construction, Downtown, Sacramento Hotel [/tags]