Sunday, September 5, 2010

STORYLINE Downtown Sacramento Proposals & Construction

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There appears to be a proposal or two in the works for 8th & K Streets in downtown Sacramento for when the market starts to recover and developers have better access to financing. The architects of Fletcher Farr Ayotte of Portland has recently completed concept designs for a new 409-room Hilton hotel at 8th & K Street along with a seven-story parking garage for the corner of 8th & L Street in downtown Sacramento.

This current proposal really bugs me in that there’s a massive parking garage planned for the corner of 8th & L Street. The hotel tower portion of the proposals decent and it would be great to see Hilton on K Street, but the massive parking garage planned next to the tower would be a horrible mistake divesting another pedestrian friendly corner of the city. This is the same design flaw that was used when the Library Tower was built nearly twenty years at the corner of 8th & J Streets. The Library Tower included an eight story parking garage next to the office tower leaving much to be desired for what could have been an awesome block. This current parking garage proposal only two blocks away from the Library Tower garage and it would be a shame to see another corner in the central city wiped out and turned into another enormous parking structure. I would recommend that the developer somehow tuck the parking into the structure like what has been done with a majority of other high-rises in downtown Sacramento. Incorporating the parking into the structure or underground would make the street appearance of the project much more attractive and would also avoid making the same mistake that the Library Tower made which is now a daily reminder of what poor city planning can produce.

As of now, this is just a concept and has not been through any of the cities Planning or Design Committees where I would hope that they will also see this design error in wiping out another corner of the central city for a parking structure. If this current choice of design is acceptable and built as planned, downtown Sacramento will soon resemble downtown Phoenix where huge parking structures are prominent on every other block.

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Conversation Express your views, debate, and be heard with those in your area closest to the issue.

David Watts Barton

June 11, 2009 | 08:20 PM

13th and J, 16th and L, 7th and L, the Sutter monstrosities...you're right Michael, someone at the city is apparently so desperate for development that they don't have the sense to even THINK about how these structures look at street level.
Then again, have you SEEN the city's architecture department's building at 10th and K??? My cousin the architect came to town recently (from Portland), and she thought it was a JOKE.

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Zen

June 12, 2009 | 09:43 AM

What building are your referring to on 10th and K? What do you mean the City's Architecture Department's Building? Do you mean it was reviewed by the City?

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William Burg

June 12, 2009 | 03:56 PM

I don't think the city of Sacramento has an architecture department.

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iadam

June 12, 2009 | 01:27 AM

But dosent the mayor want sacramento to become the next Phoenix? thats why i voted for him.

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William Burg

June 12, 2009 | 09:28 AM

The parking structure would also wipe out the Bel-Vue/American Cash Apartments building, an architectural gem that could be very easily rehabbed as apartments. The city of Sacramento's redevelopment agency owns it now, but apparently has no plans to rehabilitate or repair the structure. Such a conversion would be cheaper, easier and faster than a new building, and bring more permanent residents to the central city. Also in the same complex are some interesting and historic buildings, including the site of Sam's Hof Brau, most recently 815 L Street. With all the recent emphasis on bringing entertainment and nightlife to downtown, why not reopen it as a nightclub? It would require less conversion than the buildings on K that are slated for nightclubs, as it is already set up as a nightclub/bar--just polish it up and add some new fittings!

Hmmm...maybe it's time for an article on the Bel-Vue.

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Matt

June 12, 2009 | 12:56 PM

I totally agree about the parking structure... look at the one that's at 8th and H! its a whole block! and its like 2 stories! talk about eyes sore. they should just get rid of all easy acsess parking, like parking garages and then increase public transportation. THEN they should jack up the price at the meeter and then BAM! the cities money problems are solved.

I should be mayor.

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Casey Kirk

June 12, 2009 | 03:34 PM

Eyesore... exactly the word that came to mind when I read this. I think putting a gigantic parking structure is the LAST thing downtown needs and hopefully the developers get enough opposition before they put this plan in action that they don't follow through.

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Bill Burgua

June 12, 2009 | 04:38 PM

The downtown Seattle Hilton sits on top of it's own parking garage. You enter at street level into a modest lobby and elevate up to the main lobby. Doing this in Sacramento would give the lobby an awesome view.

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savemidtown

June 12, 2009 | 07:15 PM

It's time to start a Save the Bel-Vue Campaign. This is most certainly a gem. When you look at it from the back it looks like what you see in a 'real' city. Oh wait we are a real city too so we really need to start acting like one - this includes preserving our architectural gems and keeping reasonably priced housing downtown. Rehab and reuse is the answer to bring life back downtown.

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