A new concept for the redevelopment of the California Exposition & and State Fairgrounds was unveiled Friday, which includes adding 120,000 square feet to the exhibition space and building a new 10,000 seat amphitheatre. A consulting team led by Andy Plescia of A. Plescia & Co. outlined the concept at a meeting of the Cal Expo Board of Directors and focused on ways to breathe new life into the fairgrounds which have been in use for nearly 50 years. The consultant group, which included Plescia, Gruen Gruen + Associates and RCH Group, formed the redevelopment concept based on a year-long feasibility study covering site conditions, property values and real estate market conditions. Cal Exp

The proposal for redevelopment of the 700 block of K Street received the nod of approval from City Council Tuesday night, opening the way for developers to move forward with the $47.7 million project. With close to 64,000 square feet of retail space and more than 130 housing units, the project is designed to revitalize a long-ignored section of K Street with a diverse tenant mix of restaurants, boutique shops and a live music venue. If all goes as planned, developers expect to begin construction in late January or early February of next year. With their unanimous vote, council members approved the environmental impact and planning commission reports, and formalized a Developer Dispositi

Questions and concerns — as well as support — have been raised over a city of Sacramento planning and building department program suspended after it was illegally used to fast-track the Nestlé water-bottling plant. The little-known Facilities Permit Program came to light in late October when Nestlé's renovation of a South Sacramento warehouse was temporarily halted and a city investigation revealed work had started without legally required building permits. Many people, including those criticizing some aspects of the current building approval process, said city staff have worked hard in the last few years to become more developer-friendly by improving the building approval process and re