The city of Sacramento has announced its plans to demolish the Bel-Vue Apartments, a registered city landmark, in order to clear land on 8th Street for a potential future parking structure. Located adjacent to the now-vacant corner of 8th and K Street, the Bel-Vue was built in 1910 as the American Cash Apartments. Built in the Craftsman style with Asian overtones, the three-story brick building contains apartments above a commercial ground floor. When the Bel-Vue was built, it was one of man... William races916 2009-07-28T17:19:33Z 2009-07-28T17:19:33Z

These vacant buildings bring more blight into an already questionable area. I doubt the City has the resources for maintanence not to mention funds for bringing a relec back to code. Just imagine the liability the city would face if they allowed anyone to occupy a structure that had structural, electrical, plumbing, ect... issues. I say bring it down and start over. They could easily salvage materials from the building and rebuild in replica fasion using todays codes and earthquake standards. Safety First followed by appearance.

races916 2009-07-28T17:19:33Z savemidtown 2009-07-07T05:31:35Z 2009-07-07T05:31:35Z

The city wants the comments in hard copy letter which is very odd - i intend to do email and hard copy. It's due at the end of the month and I also intend to ask that the city consider a third alternative in the EIR that include the rehab and adaptive re-use of the Bel Vue and Sam's Hof Brau. It's the original Sam's a cultural icon for sure.

savemidtown 2009-07-07T05:31:35Z William Burg 2009-07-06T23:30:51Z 2009-07-06T23:30:51Z

Today's Sacramento Bee included a mention of this project in the Bob Shallit column, including the name of a developer and hotel company. I will write a follow-up to this article including the previously unknown details in the next day or two.

William Burg 2009-07-06T23:30:51Z tdramer 2009-07-06T19:59:02Z 2009-07-06T19:59:02Z

Woes Me! Perhaps they should build a big giant Safeway? So sad. Everybody who works for the City these days seems to be from Somewhere's Else, (Name a State Here). They have no nostalgia for a City they weren't raised in, that is just a stepping stone in a life's career. They are just working their way to "Real" job in a "Real" city like Portland or Seattle. We just sit here like lumps and let them chip away at our town. I do however hope that an article such as this will spur outrage beyond my own, (I will contact the City officials mentioned in the article.)

tdramer 2009-07-06T19:59:02Z Harry Osibin 2009-07-05T16:29:05Z 2009-07-05T16:29:05Z

The rest of the scenario is scary. No developer, no plans, no EIR. Question: who's gonna get paid to create another vacant lot?

Harry Osibin 2009-07-05T16:29:05Z Harry Osibin 2009-07-05T16:27:38Z 2009-07-05T16:27:38Z

Oracle apparently holds an opinion shared by many, i.e. new is better, out with the old etc. I don't share that opinion at all. The greenest building is the one that's already built. Transit oriented development is the wave of the future despite the political opposition. Tearing down anything to put in a parking structure for cars and trucks is a dubious goal at best. Thanks, William.

Harry Osibin 2009-07-05T16:27:38Z TotalDerelict 2009-07-05T01:31:28Z 2009-07-05T01:31:28Z

Beuty is in the eye of beeholdr! Looks at me!

TotalDerelict 2009-07-05T01:31:28Z Michael Zwahlen 2009-07-04T21:00:34Z 2009-07-04T21:00:34Z

The city wants to destroy the building not a developer. WBurg said "No developer or investor has been named by the city to actually build this project or pay for it." This is all the cities doing right now.

Michael Zwahlen 2009-07-04T21:00:34Z CCC 2009-07-04T19:16:50Z 2009-07-04T19:16:50Z

nice comment oracle, just because you don't see the beauty does not mean it is not there. Just what is "Urban Ghetto Style"? Do you regularly use the word ghetto as an adjective? I suppose a hole in the ground would be more to your liking? Maybe you could name it another vapid, uninformed architectural style too. See you in Granite Bay. Didn't you read what WBurg said? That is all ok with you? Really? Sheesh.

CCC 2009-07-04T19:16:50Z bbbbmer 2009-07-04T18:22:18Z 2009-07-04T18:22:18Z

Excellent piece on speculative but unrealized dreams of kleenex box developers and the historical gems in the rough they destroy... Thank you for sharing your insights...

bbbbmer 2009-07-04T18:22:18Z William Burg 2009-07-04T17:18:06Z 2009-07-04T17:18:06Z

I am a regular writer on local history here at Sacramento Press and for Midtown Monthly Magazine, and write books on local history for Arcadia Publishing: http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738547961 http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738531472 http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=9780738559001

William Burg 2009-07-04T17:18:06Z William Burg 2009-07-04T17:15:34Z 2009-07-04T17:15:34Z

The building is in rough shape because it has not been maintained. A little rehab work, paint and maintenance would make the building shine--a wrecking ball would just make another hole in the ground. The city of Sacramento has just let the building sit, falling into disrepair, because they apparently just want to knock it down. I consider that a short-sighted attitude.

William Burg 2009-07-04T17:15:34Z savemidtown 2009-07-04T17:04:01Z 2009-07-04T17:04:01Z

Real cities have variety and the combo of old and new do that. This structure has been vacant for too long - when it was inhabited by local businesses and residents it was alive and somewhat maintained. Buildings cannot speak for themselves but if they could i'm guessing they don't like being neglected. With a little love it can easily be a showpiece - like 14th & R and 18th & Capitol. Very few of the lively businesses at 18th & Capitol sit in new buildings. Most are rehabbed old buildings, some historic, some not. We have so few large scale craftsman commericial buildings and our history is our strength yet our city doesn't get that this (our history) is our asset and draw that no one else in the region can duplicate. I recommend those who think this building is 'ghetto' go to the Magnificent Mile and Lakeshore Waterfront in Chicago - or even closer to home in San Francisco and tell that to them. Real cities have character and variety - we are a real city so we need to act like it. Any plan for this block should include the rehab of the Bel Vue. A gem and Landmark for good reason. Excellent article - I plan to send a letter to city staff next week and hope other will as well.

savemidtown 2009-07-04T17:04:01Z Oracle 2009-07-04T16:48:41Z 2009-07-04T16:48:41Z

OK, I looked at all the photos and fail to see the architectural beauty of the building. It looks like urban ghetto style. Ball and chain it. However, the story was quite interesting. Nice work.

Oracle 2009-07-04T16:48:41Z Mark Forsyth 2009-07-04T16:41:08Z 2009-07-04T16:41:08Z

Wow, I really look forward to parking in that structure. Good job City of Sacramento

Mark Forsyth 2009-07-04T16:41:08Z Brian Moffitt 2009-07-04T14:43:04Z 2009-07-04T14:43:04Z

Very interesting and comprehensive. I suspect William you have some expertise in historical buildings/architecture. If so, perhaps you should list your credentials at the end of your story??

Brian Moffitt 2009-07-04T14:43:04Z Dale Kooyman 2009-07-04T02:30:07Z 2009-07-04T02:30:07Z

Somehow, I missed the "years off" part of your article when I skimmed through it. That being the case the destruction should not be allowed. Yes, I'm aware of the very few facadism" here but I'm talking block after block in parts of Philadelphia and other eastern cities. We just don't have that volume here.

Dale Kooyman 2009-07-04T02:30:07Z Michael Zwahlen 2009-07-03T23:33:39Z 2009-07-03T23:33:39Z

WOW! At least when the Renaissance Tower was approved to replace the old Clunie Hotel, they did not do the demolition till the plans and financing for the tower were in place. So now will have another empty plot of land downtown in exchange for the possibility of a six story parking garage, GREAT!

Michael Zwahlen 2009-07-03T23:33:39Z William Burg 2009-07-03T22:58:22Z 2009-07-03T22:58:22Z

Facadism is pretty common here too--look at the Esquire, the Public Market building or even the Citizen Hotel. The problem is that demolition except for the facade destroys the utility of the building and its value as a built structure. The construction of a new building could be many years off, and the city wants to demolish the whole block now--it would not be practical to just leave the facade standing on its own for an untold number of years. There is no new building, just a plan to make a plan for a new building. That's why demolition of the Bel-Vue and neighboring structures is so premature, and so pointless.

William Burg 2009-07-03T22:58:22Z Dale Kooyman 2009-07-03T22:06:37Z 2009-07-03T22:06:37Z

Bill, even if the entire building can't be saved, couldn't the facade be saved and incorporated into part of the new building like they have done in other cities on the east coast? It is unique and of architectural significance. Downtown has lost so much if that architectural history.

Dale Kooyman 2009-07-03T22:06:37Z