A group interested in transforming alleys will present three prototypes to the Sacramento City Council Tuesday.

A restaurant row concept is proposed to hold a mix of outdoor cafés just steps from Memorial Auditorium. Another could contain an alley-front condo sales model. The third would demonstrate the vision for alley hardscapeimprovements.

The Alley Activation Committee is proposing three pilot alleys in Midtown. Two would stretch from 17th to 19th streets between L Street and Capitol Avenue in the Handle District, and a third is proposed for the alley from I to J streets between 16th and 17th streets.

"It's thinking about the whole piece of how do people live and work in the city," said committee Co-Chair Julie Young.

Midtown's blocks contain the same configuration: shallow lots on numbered streets and 160-foot deep lots on lettered streets. Developer Jeremy Drucker hopes to build a compact, three-unit condo building at the back of a deep lot behind a house at 1717 Capitol Ave. The residential units would face Old Soul coffee roastery, which also sits on the alley running from 17th to 18th streets, between L Street and Capitol Avenue.

Designed by architect Ron Vrilakas, the "Stitch" building would contain environmentally conscious interiors and a market-rate, ground-floor unit fully accessible for individuals with disabilities. Exteriors would be designed to fit the neighborhood. A roughly 700-square-foot, one-bedroom unit would cost about $250,000. An 1,100-square foot, two-story unit with two bedrooms would cost about $350,000, said Drucker, who co-chairs the Alley Activation Committee.

"The benefit of working with Ron — a great architect — is there's no wasted footage," he said. "When you're in the space, it feels 50 percent larger."

Drucker's aim is to create affordable housing in "unaffordable" neighborhoods for single people and young couples or families — without demolishing existing housing. He believes the condos would be most ideal for outlying, residential alleys in Midtown, rather than business districts.

For three years, the sales model will be used to show property owners what they could potentially do to increase income and raise the value of their property, he said. The units would then be sold.

"It could be a rundown garage back there, a weed patch or some sort of under-performing part of their property," said Drucker.

Developer Aaron Zeff is proposing to turn two cavernous old buildings currently used for parking into mixed-use space with alley-facing restaurants between I and J streets, from 16th to 17th streets. Taking a cue from San Francisco's Belden Street, the restaurants would feature upscale dining with outdoor seating on the alley.

The historic character of the buildings would be maintained, he said. A 25,600-foot building at 1630 I St. contains old timber trusses and a mezzanine that may be used for a 160-foot dining loft. The other building, which sits directly on 17th Street, contains arched ceilings and barn doors[.]

"That's what people want -- they want to dine in an interesting space," said Zeff.

A restaurant row there could attract Memorial Auditorium visitors and downtown workers to stay in the city longer rather than fleeing for the suburbs, Zeff said.

The third alley, which sits between L Street and Capitol Avenue from 18th to 19th streets, behind the Zócalo building, would help form an attractive, walkable corridor giving diners and shoppers easy access to the East End Parking Garage. That also would serve as a model for what can be done to accentuate Midtown's existing character and increase accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Attractive paving has already been laid there by Vrilakas; Young's development company, Young-Clifford; and developer Sotiris Kolokotronis. Additional beautification could include trees, planters, benches, signs and solar lighting. Lighting options include tiny Italian lights overhead and in-ground lights, Young said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.