K Street was a fixture in local news this year, with the most noteworthy event being its reopening to vehicular traffic for the first time since the 1960s – a major part of the city’s plan to revitalize the area. Other revitalization efforts included redevelopment and the moving of the Greyhound station.

The section of K Street between Seventh and 12th streets known as the K Street Mall has long been blighted, and city officials argued that much of that blight was the result of the failed pedestrian mall concept for the area.

That led to a long process of returning it to vehicular traffic, which was well under way by the middle of the year.

Image by: Brandon Darnell By mid-September, there were noticeable changes to the streetscape as crews dug up old paving and prepared the street to handle light rail and cars.

K Street officially reopened to cars on Nov. 12, to much fanfare.

Image by: Kevin Holst Though it is now legal to drive down the street, Sacramentans have been slow to start using it. In early December, about a month after the street reopened to vehicles, The Sacramento Press asked businesspeople on the street if they had noticed a change. While most said they had not, the general feeling was that it is too soon to tell, and some were hopeful for a revitalized K Street in the near future.

One large-scale redevelopment project is under way on the south side of the 700 block. D&S Development, Inc., which worked to redevelop the historic Maydestone Building at 15th and J streets, partnered with CFY Development, Inc., on the 700 block of K Street.

The $47.7 million project is seen by city officials as a catalyst to turn the street into something the city can be proud of.

Image by: File photo The City Council approved the project in July, and in late August, The Sacramento Press took a tour of the buildings that are scheduled to be redeveloped starting in 2012.

Image by: Brandon Darnell Another move in changing the face of K Street was the moving of the Greyhound station from nearby L Street to Richards Boulevard. After the move, police reported seeing approximately 60 percent fewer calls in the area around the station, including K Street, and D&S Development, Inc., representatives concurred.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.