Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "k street mall"

District 30 brings life to K Street Mall

2011-06-06T06:06:04Z

In an attempt to bring vitality to the once desolate K Street Mall in downtown Sacramento, District 30, one of the newest night clubs, is still thriving after four months of business.

You can’t miss the bright lights of District 30. The glowing LED projected sign they have at their entrance is enticing. If it wasn’t your friends who lured you there, or what you’ve heard, it was the sign.

There appeared to be a hustle and bustle about the area which wasn’t too crazy for a Friday night, but it was still early – 11 p.m.

You’re greeted by multiple doormen who guard the black velvet ropes to enter the club.

The cover is $15 unless you sign up on the e-mail guest list days in advance on their website. That’s not a lot for a “premier nightclub and special event venue,” as they describe on their website.

For a club that is relatively new, it has been amping up the downtown scene by bringing in big-name DJ acts like Steve Aoki, The Crystal Method, Benny Benassi and Los Angeles’ LMFAO.

When they aren’t having an event, it’s just another night at the club that is open Wednesday through Saturday.

The District 30 experience is all in the eye of the beholder. It could be hit or miss depending on the crowd, who you’re dancing with, or in this case, the day of the week.

You walk in and everything is plush from the tall ceilings to the carpeting design that mimics hardwood floor. From the art on the walls and the brown and gold glass-blown light fixtures above the bar to the granite bar top and white leather booths lining the walls, it screams modern class.

People were dressed to impress. And they were dressed to attract in their heels, collared shirts and cologne. It was “Flirty Friday” according to their website. There seemed to be more women than men that night.

DJ Cams, the regular Friday night DJ, was spinning new hip-hop, pop and dance music mixed with classic oldies. He went from 50 Cent to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” to Ke$ha.

District 30 attracts an older crowd mixed with younger adults who enjoy the scene. Jhamey Jones, 30, was leaning against the wall on the disco ball-adorned dance floor scoping out the scene.

“I’ve been here one time before,” he said. “There’s good music variety and different cultures,” he said. He liked it enough to come back, which seems to be the consensus for District 30 club-goers.

Perhaps it’s the music. I could feel the bass vibrating through my body, not surprisingly because of their state-of-the-art sound system with special tri-axial speakers generate sound at various frequencies, creating a fuller sound.

Perhaps it’s the flat-screens, or “one-of-a-kind glowing LED puzzle art” as they describe on their website, on the walls surrounding the dance floor that project visuals and artsy clips, or the colorful array of visual light designs shifting on the dance floor.

It could also be the VIP treatment. That’s what keeps Stephen Northrop, 27, coming all the way from Roseville every weekend.

“I come with a bunch of people, so for $400 bucks my friends and I can get a booth and a bottle for like $50 each,” Northrop said.

If you aren’t VIP, the bar drinks are relatively inexpensive. It’s about $4 to $5 for a bottled beer (they don’t carry any on tap), and cocktails start around $6.

“It’s fun, but for a Friday it’s different,” Northrop said. “Saturday is a better night to come. Usually the line is around the block,” Northrop added.

Doorman and VIP manager Alex Enriquez said there were about 200 people there, which he said is slow considering Wednesdays and Saturdays are the club’s busiest nights, which can be “packed” with up to 600 people.

Regardless of how many people were there, people appeared to be having fun. They were dancing, they were laughing, they were drinking their cocktails and they were on the prowl or on the wall taking it all in.

Beth Q., 34, came with her boyfriend and had been there once before.

“It could be a better crowd, but you have room and your own space to do what you want to do,” she said. “I like to people watch. The vibe is good,” she added.

It’s the kind of place where you can unwind after a long work week if you’re a young professional, or a person just looking for a good time, a new scene and a new experience, or if your friends happened to drag you there. Chances are you’ll have a good time.

K Street Mall projects closer to groundbreaking

2011-05-20T04:48:53Z

Redevelopment projects for the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street cleared a final hurdle on their way to the Sacramento City Council when the city's Preservation Commission approved both Thursday night.

The commission called a special meeting to consider the final major design components after both projects were approved by the Planning Commission last week. A City Council vote of approval, which will be set for sometime in June, would mean groundbreaking could finally begin on two key blocks of K Street Mall that have long been eyesores.

The projects will add 337 mixed-income apartments in the downtown core, rehab the landmark Bel-Vue Apartments and restore all but one of the building façades on the south side of the 700 block of K Street. The projects were both approved unanimously by the five commissioners present.

Activists in the city's preservation and housing communities have worked long and hard for housing and historic preservation there. The community raised an outcry over a previous project that proposed tearing down the Bel-Vue, recalled Preservation Commission Chair Karen Jacques.

"Finally, we are going to see some really nice development on both the 700 and the 800 blocks of K Street. That's a huge boost for this city," she said. "Those two blocks have been a disaster for so long. With these projects, the historic buildings are getting saved."

The special meeting was held Thursday, rather than waiting for the commission's next scheduled meeting in June, to get the projects to the council as soon as possible. The projects may qualify for redevelopment funding that is at risk of being lost if Gov. Jerry Brown abolishes redevelopment agencies to help solve the state's budget woes.

No one is certain when that might happen. Some officials and developers fear it could be as soon as June 30.

In addition, developers want to get the projects under way to get lower bids during an economic downturn when little construction is taking place, said YHLA Architects principal Bob Lindley, who represented developers of the 800 block before the commission.

Commissioners also approved establishing a Preservation Commission subcommittee to meet with the developers of the 800 block: David Taylor Interests, Domus Development and the city's Redevelopment Agency, which is the property owner. The subcommittee will work with the developers on minor changes and was set up Thursday night to help expedite the project.

Plans for the 800 block are to rehab the landmark Bel-Vue Apartments at 1123 Eighth St. and integrate the historic property with a new addition and an adjacent new building at 800 K St., bringing 200 new or renovated apartments to the block. The entire project will contain 23,000 square feet of retail space.

The four-story 801 L St. building will be constructed as an addition to the three-story Bel-Vue. The combined structure will be nearly 82,000 square feet with 56 residential units and 11,000 square feet of retail and 10,000 square feet of ground-level parking.

The Bel-Vue building's ground-floor retail storefronts will be renovated and wrapped around the alley corner so that it faces the alley. The Bel-Vue's 26 apartments will be modernized, brought up to code and outfitted with bigger kitchens and bathrooms. Non-historic buildings will be demolished to make way for the new addition, which will feature a landscaped internal courtyard.

The corner of Eighth and K streets, which has long sat empty, will hold a nearly 193,000-square-foot, six-story building with 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, 144 apartments, a landscaped, internal courtyard and basement parking. The exterior of the 800 K St. building will be a modern interpretation of the Art Deco style.

For the 700 block, developers D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. – led by David Miry, son Bay Miry and partner Steve Lebastchi, and Cyrus Youssefi and his son, Ali Youssefi – will build a six-story apartment building with 137 units and a parking garage that's nearly 28,000 square feet.

The backs of six buildings will be demolished to make way for construction of the apartment building. The number of apartments was decreased from 153 to incorporate the commission's earlier suggestions to make the rooftop and alley-facing exterior less flat, Ali Youssefi told the commission.

The project also would involve restoring all storefronts except one and turn 64,881 square feet of retail into a live music club, four restaurants with bars and shops. The block would feature sidewalk patio seating in front of nearly every ground-floor space, open-air mezzanines and rooftop decks for dining, bars or residential use.

Groundbreaking for work in the 700 block is expected to happen by the end of 2011 or early 2012. The project should be completed within two years, Youssefi said.

Groundbreaking for the 800 block project is expected to begin in early spring of 2012. The project should be completed by late 2013, said Ellen Warner, a partner at David S. Taylor Interests.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Man on the street: Mermaid sightings at Dive Bar

2011-04-22T23:55:53Z

The new section of K Street has been open for about three months now with District 30, Pizza Rock and Dive Bar.

Dive Bar is not your typical ‘dive bar,’ contrary to its name. It is actually quite upscale, with a 40-foot-long, 7,500-gallon saltwater tank that spans 18 feet across the entire bar with fish and, sometimes, mermaids.

The whole premise of the bar is that mermaids, and mermen, dive in the tank and swim around. The question is, how often do you see the mermaids? On occasion, bar patrons have gone to Dive Bar just to see the mermaids and have left disappointed upon seeing an empty tank.

The Sacramento Press took to the streets and caught people as they left the bar, asking what they thought of Dive Bar, and if they were able to catch a glimpse of the mermaids.

Angie Rodriguez, 21, full-time student works at Forever 21.

“I’ve been here twice. There was only one mermaid. I think the problem is that they need to hire more mermaids. I think the new K Street Mall is pretty cool. I think it gives it more life, instead of there being one bar over here, and one over there.”

Morgan Valencia, 24, server at Applebee’s

“The mermaid wasn’t there. I love how it’s an oxymoron – ‘dive bar’ – because it’s not a dive bar at all, but I wish the mermaid was there more often. I love that they’re doing a whole re-life of the K Street Mall, because it really needs something. There’s nothing really going on right now, and they need to get it going again.”

Ronald Macom, 46, retired (and his wife Susan Macom, 44)

“I’ve been here before. It’s cool. Oh yeah, I’ve seen mermaids – and mermen. They have them both. Usually they’re here Thursday, Friday, Saturday – those are the main times. The new bars, the entertainment district is very nice.”Tiana Burse, 29, independent radio VJ for 101.1 FM and Access Sacramento, blogger for Tiana’s Closet

“I’ve been here four times, and I’ve seen mermaids four times. There were two mermaids. I actually love the new K Street Mall, because I was here when they had the K Street bar, which was a few years ago, and I was here all of the time.”

Javier Wallbanger, 23, hairstylist, designer, makeup artist and singer.

“I’ve been here before, and I have yet to see a mermaid – been here three times. I think that being here and it’s called the Dive Bar in Sacramento, I think automatically it’s going to be a cheap bar. It’s going to be nice and easy, but going in and buying drinks, it’s not so much that.

“I have yet to see the mermaids diving. I guess it’s a disappointment for people that are coming out on good nights and wanting to see what’s up with the mermaids.”

Albert Garcia, 22, student, and Kristen Romero, 23, state worker

“This is my first time. I didn’t see a mermaid, but I like the fish. I like the scenery. I like the tank. I think it’s still pretty cool without the mermaids,” Garcia said.

I’ve been here before, and I did not see a mermaid. I was very disappointed. I was hoping to see a mermaid. I like the new K Street Mall, though. It’s getting more pizazz. It’s bringing this whole street to life,” Romero said.

What has your experience been like at Dive Bar? Tell us in the comment section below.

Cars on K project drives forward

2011-04-21T01:07:23Z

City staffers are moving forward on the project to bring cars to K Street, saying Wednesday that the street will see its final days as a pedestrian mall in the fall.

Nader Kamal, a senior projects manager for the city, said the street may be ready for cars by November. People will be able to drive between Eighth and 12th streets once the project is complete.

Cars have been barred from K Street since the 1960s, when the city turned it into a pedestrian mall.

“It seemed to be the trend at that time,” city Transportation Department spokeswoman Linda Tucker said, referring to pedestrian malls.

Thursday, the Law and Legislation Committee — composed of four City Council members – will examine updates to an ordinance on pedestrian malls. The ordinance updates, which would allow cars on K Street, are technical changes. The updates will need to be approved later by the full City Council. The City Council decided last year to dedicate $2.7 million to prepare K Street for cars.

Kamal said construction on K is scheduled to begin in July. The construction work will include installing a new traffic signal at 11th and K streets, changing the existing traffic signals on the street and putting in stripes for two-way lanes.

City officials and the downtown business community have said that cars on K will help attract customers to shops on that street.

The increased traffic from cars “will create just a little more visibility on K Street,” said Denise Malvetti, a senior project manager for the city.

Vehicles will also make people feel safer on K Street because the cars will bring activity to the street, she said.

But Sacramento resident Linda Moss, 63, had a different view of cars on that street. “It’s pollution,” she said, while walking from K Street to a bus stop Wednesday.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Dive Bar, Pizza Rock owner hopes to build more elsewhere

2011-03-25T02:17:01Z

Dive Bar owner George Karpaty is expanding his business territory.

Two months after opening the mermaid bar and two other businesses on Sacramento's K Street Mall, Karpaty is in the final stages of negotiating a lease for a fourth concept in El Dorado Hills.

The San Francisco nightclub owner previously said the bars and gourmet pizza restaurant he opened in Sacramento early this year were pioneer concept s he would like to take elsewhere.

Karpaty is now talking with folks in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Las Vegas and Oakland about opening versions of the K Street businesses there, depending on space available. He and Pizza Rock partner Tony Gemignani are also working on plans to open Pizza Rock restaurants throughout the United States, Karpaty said this week.

"Pizza Rock is the one we're looking for a big roll-out and having a lot of them in the next 10 years all over the country," Karpaty said.

Pizza Rock, Dive Bar and the District 30 dance club, located in a renovated building at 1016 - 1022 K St., are all drawing more crowds and making more money than expected for this stage of the business plan, he said.

Current discussions involve opening Dive Bar and Pizza Rock in Las Vegas and opening just Pizza Rocks in the other three cities. Karpaty is looking into opening the entire trio in additional cities because they complement each other well, he said.

Dive Bar's giant aquarium, where "mermaids" and "mermen" can sometimes be spotted, is believed to be the biggest aquarium in a nightlife venue in the world – second only to tanks at professional aquarium museums. The tank at the next Dive Bar will be 40 percent bigger than the 7,500-gallon tank at 1016 K St., Karpaty said.

"We've never opened anything like Dive Bar" anywhere else, he said.

Karpaty already owned popular San Francisco establishments – Ruby Skye nightclub and a "speakeasy" called Slide – when he developed ideas for a vacant K Street building owned by Sacramento developer David Taylor and Los Angeles-based CIM Group.

Karpaty said it's too early to talk about the new concept he has in the works for El Dorado Hills Town Center 30 miles from Sacramento. But he's very close to signing a lease with The Mansour Co., which owns the retail and office complex.

The company's owner, Tony Mansour, said they're about 30 days away from finalizing a lease agreement for 6,000 square feet.

"We're almost there," Mansour said. "You never know until the ink gets dry and the money's in the bank."

Mansour, who lives in both Los Angeles and El Dorado Hills, experienced Karpaty's K Street businesses during their grand openings.

"I never do a deal with anybody unless I know what they serve and how they deal," he said. "We love the pizza and the mermaids."

The El Dorado Hills operation could open within six to nine months if all goes as planned, Karpaty said.

"It's up to him how fast he can open," Mansour added. "We'd love to have him open as soon as possible. We're excited to have him in the area because we think it will draw from the region."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Downtown is focus for urban design experts

2011-02-17T02:04:29Z

Sacramento needs to build a better image for its downtown, and Downtown Plaza should be “ground zero” for change, urban design experts said Wednesday.

City and business leaders often refer to the heart of downtown as the J-K-L Corridor, named for the major streets the area is built on.

But referring to downtown that way promotes the idea that it's just an area to move through on the way to somewhere else. The city needs to focus on creating a downtown district that becomes the center of the city, said Betsy Jackson, president of The Urban Agenda Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich.

"Stop thinking and speaking of this as a corridor," Jackson said at City Hall during a presentation by a team of urban design and city planning experts.

Mayor Kevin Johnson invited the six-person team to visit the city through a National Endowment for the Arts leadership initiative called the Mayors' Institute on City Design. The program is offered in partnership with the American Architectural Foundation and the United States Conference of Mayors.

The institute holds six to eight such workshops throughout the country each year. The team was brought to Sacramento to help support ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown.

The team spent two and a half days touring Sacramento, learning from local stakeholders and developing guiding principles and recommendations. Those stakeholders – city staff, labor officials, artists and business owners – attended the presentation.

Echoing the concerns of all local stakeholders, the team identified major change at Westfield Downtown Plaza as downtown's top redevelopment priority.

The 1970s-era shopping mall is a visual and physical barrier that helps disconnect downtown from the central city's grid and doesn't contribute as much as it could to downtown's economy. The city should consider replacing the internally focused plaza with externally focused mixed uses such as retail, office and residences, said Graham Stroh, a program manager with the American Architectural Foundation.

"That is probably ground zero for Sacramentans," he said.

The team offered plenty of other ideas. They include:

• Improve downtown's connections to its near neighborhoods;
• Invest in quality for streetscape, landscaping, parks, trash pickup, maintenance and graffiti prevention/removal;
• Activate public spaces year-round with events and recreation that draw different demographic groups and make use of undeveloped lots;
• Promote informal, spontaneous uses of public spaces and different activities for different sites;
• Enhance major streets with more landscaping and a green infrastructure of open space and natural areas, starting with 10th and J streets, then expanding to I Street and beyond;
• Educate property owners and residents about the economic benefits of preserving and adapting historic properties, such as Sacramento's original street level hidden away in basements and hollow sidewalks;
• Reform permitting and regulations to make development less confusing, less expensive and less time-consuming;
• Build safety by adding downtown guides at night;
• Review efficiency of one-way streets;
• Improve on the almost-nonexistent access to Sacramento and American rivers;
• Build downtown's identity through mid-rise buildings that stand out from the low-rise residential buildings of surrounding neighborhoods.

The city should develop a "customer service approach" to building downtown and its image, Jackson said.

"The idea is you need to sweat these details," she said.

The other people on the team were Brad Cownover, a regional landscape architect with the U.S. Forest Service in Portland; Mark Dawson of Sasaki Associates in Boston; and Keith Lichten with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The team will present a final plan to the city within two weeks. The plan will be posted on the city's website and then used to continue a conversation about changing downtown, said Kunal Merchant, Johnson's chief of staff.

Rowena & Takashi moves downtown

2011-02-15T00:49:05Z

An El Dorado Hills couple will bring a bit more glamor to the city by relocating their hair and makeup studio to the heart of downtown Sacramento.

Rowena and Takashi Hiraga – a hair stylist/instructor and her business-partner husband – are moving their namesake salon, Rowena & Takashi, from the El Dorado Hills location where they've operated for more than a decade to a new spot in the Cathedral Building at 12th and K streets. They expect to open March 8.

The relocation will put the business in a more centralized spot for clients, students, visiting stylists and business partners. The move will also be more convenient for all the Sacramento and San Francisco fashion shows and photo shoots Rowena Hiraga is hired for, the couple said.

In addition, they want to contribute to the culture and economy emerging in the central city.

"Sacramento will be more central," said 45-year-old Rowena Hiraga, who was an instructor at the Sassoon Academy in Santa Monica. "It's just growing. I want to be part of it."

She was born in Manila, then grew up in San Francisco. Takashi Hiraga lived in Nagoya, Japan, until age 18. They both trained as hair stylists at Sassoon. She was an instructor and he was a student when they met.

After her parents moved to Roseville, the couple traded Los Angeles for the Sierra foothills and opened Rowena & Takashi in 1999. He is a licensed stylist but prefers to work behind the scenes as the company's chief financial officer and director of operations.

Rowena Hiraga's cutting skills and avant-garde styling are in demand by fashion designers for photo shoots and runway shows, as well as some commercials and videos. ~~She styled Grammy award nominee Nadia Ali's hair for a 2001 video of her song, "Rapture."~~ She styled Grammy award nominee Nadia Ali's hair for a 2011 video of the remix of "Rapture," originally released in 2001.

Work is under way this week on an 1,850-square-foot, two-level salon with a minimalist look at 1020 12th St., next to Ella Dining Room and Bar. The second floor will feature a private suite with a $15,000 pneumatic "shampoo bed" that may be Sacramento's first, said Takashi Hiraga, 50.

The winner of Sacramento's Hair Wars: 2008, Rowena also offers on-site and off-site classes for styling professionals. Stylists can apprentice at the salon under two programs, Studio 99 and Associates. Through Studio 99, Rowena offers basic salon training for hair cutters and colorists. The Associates program is for more advanced stylists.

Full-day classes will be offered every fourth Monday for up to six students at a time. Rowena teaches stylists many skills, including how to produce the right cut and style for a person's face, features, bone structure, hair, personality and lifestyle. Full-day classes cost $300 for independent stylists but are provided for free as training to employee apprentices.

All stylists, including top-level "directors" such as Rowena who create the next looks in fashion, undergo ongoing training.

"For our salon, training never stops," Takashi Hiraga said.

At $187 for a cut and blow dry, Rowena will be one of the most expensive stylists in town. Some customers only see her for special occasions, but she has plenty of regular clients as well.

“She is very, very talented,” said Gail DeMarco, who owns XSiGHT Photography and Video nearby. “I’m happy they’re here.”

This summer, the couple said they hope to move to Land Park, where their children will attend a Waldorf school.

They chose downtown Sacramento to be within sight of the Capitol and close to downtown's historic architecture. K Street Mall, which was closed to cars decades ago, reminded them of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

The Hiragas said they think K Street can become a hip destination like Third Street Promenade. They want to be there when it does and think moving their business just off K Street will help.

"So many times I have heard people say, 'It's a cow town.' But they don't know the people. They don't know the city," Rowena Hiraga said.

"Downtown is so, so beautiful," she said. "This is the capital of California. The capital is us."

Rowena & Takashi will be open 8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter at The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Editorial Note: A correction has been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Crest Theatre's preservation behind purchase

2011-02-08T04:14:03Z

A desire to protect the historic Crest Theatre helped push someone to buy it last week.

Bob Emerick, a wastewater treatment engineer with Stantec Consulting Services in Rocklin, said a love of historic architecture and Sacramento's loss of the Alhambra Theatre helped motivate him to buy the theatre complex for nearly $2.8 million Wednesday. The asking price was $3.12 million.

The 41-year-old said he's too young to have really experienced the Alhambra, which was demolished in the 1970s to make way for a supermarket.

But he heard stories about how grand the Alhambra was from his parents and grandparents. Those stories greatly influenced him to act when he learned the Crest was up for sale last summer.

"It just leaves an impression that these old buildings need someone to watch after them," he said. "I love the Crest Theatre. It's a beautiful venue."

His grandparents once lived behind Tower Theatre. Emerick, who was born in Sacramento, also looked into buying that theater but realized he couldn't buy both. Buying the 61-year-old Crest made more sense because it was restored recently, he said.

Emerick developed a love for historic architecture when he restored an old house in Oak Park while he was a grad student in engineering at UC Davis.

He said he is exploring the possibility of bringing more live music events to the Crest now. Otherwise, the Crest will continue operating nearly seamlessly after he bought a complex that measures about 38,000 square feet. The complex includes three restaurants, plus office and retail space.

Emerick bought the property from the Briggs-McClatchy family. Colliers International brokers Erik Neese and Heath Charamuga handled the deal.

The Crest's current operators – Sid Garcia-Heberger and her husband, Bill Heberger, Andy Field and Gary Schroeder – will continue running the theater. They show movies and rent the theater to individuals and organizations who wants to do shows.

The Briggs-McClatchy family owned the theater and adjacent property for nearly 100 years. Dr. Briggs, who owned a physician's building at 10th and K streets, bought the 1013 K St. property in 1910. Briggs married a McClatchy, whose family operated The McClatchy Company and The Sacramento Bee.

He leased it to vaudeville pioneer John Considine and New York politician Tim Sullivan, and in 1913, they completed the Empress Theatre. The Empress offered live vaudeville with seating for about 1,800.

The Empress was replaced by the Hippodrome, which also brought vaudeville performers to Sacramento before being turned into a movie theater in the late 1920s.

The Hippodrome was gutted, and the Crest was built within its walls. The Crest opened Oct. 6, 1949.

Emerick owns one other commercial building – an office building in Reno.

The change in the theater's ownership follows other new development on K Street Mall. Two bars and a pizza restaurant opened across the street from the Crest last month, and a restaurant and tequila bar is expected to open at 12th and K next month.

Emerick said he wants to bring more live entertainment to the Crest to help encourage K Street's evolution.

"It's really a venue for Sacramento," he said. "As all of K Street evolves to become more of an entertainment district, all of the tenants will respond accordingly."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel set for March opening

2011-02-03T02:00:58Z

The electric whines of drills and saws coming from the corner of 12th and K streets Wednesday indicated the opening of Tequila Museo Mayahuel is still a short way off.

The sounds escaped from open doors papered in bright green with the words "Coming Soon to K Street." The restaurant and tequila bar had been expected to open by the end of 2010, and then by Feb. 1.

However, the need for electrical changes and other construction delays, as well as permitting issues, have postponed the opening to March, owner Ernesto Delgado said.

He hopes to imbue the 5,300-square-foot restaurant, bar and gift shop with a museum-like quality that highlights Mexico's culture through tequila. Born in the Mexican state of Michoacán, Delgado is using an idea inspired by the wineries around his childhood home in Napa Valley to create a unique restaurant.

"The way they showcase the wine culture is the same way I'm trying to showcase the tequila culture," the Sacramento resident said.

The restaurant is named for the Aztec goddess of the agave plant and fertility, Mayahuel. Agave is used to make tequila. A statue of a jimador – or agave plant farmer – will sit outside the entrance.

Inside, tequila bottles, art and information will be exhibited everywhere, from T-shirts and menus to the restaurant itself.

"On the ceilings, on the floors, on the walls, on the menus, on the staff," Delgado said. "When you walk in, it will feel like a museum."

He's hired most of the 40 to 50 people who will staff the establishment. Delgado will create educational programs to teach the staff about tequila and its history. To ensure they can talk knowledgeably with customers, everyone who works there will have to write essays about tequila and its culture before they can start work, he added.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel is being built at 1200 K St., on the ground floor of a parking garage leased by the Hyatt Regency Sacramento. Delgado has converted three spaces that previously held an eye wear store, Chinese restaurant and a vacant storefront into one big space.

Interior construction is complete. The urban contemporary look is set off with bold colors of terracotta, green and black.

A large U-shaped bar wraps into the main dining room and the Coa Room, named for the shovel used to harvest agave. The room has a separate entrance and can be reserved for private parties. In back, a chef's bar will seat about 12 and serve as an exhibition kitchen. The menu will offer traditional Mexican dishes featuring fresh ingredients.

On Wednesday, tradespeople were busy finishing trim work – installing solid walnut doors, light fixtures, signs and more. Cabinetry is being hand-made on-site. Three people were restaining chairs while another man built wooden tequila lockers. Customers can use those to store expensive or rare bottles of tequila for a small fee.

Two large, garage-door-like windows will open onto a large patio. Delgado is in the process of getting permits for the 20-foot by 40-foot sidewalk cafe and adjacent lounge, which may feature an outdoor bar and fireplace, and for a small gift shop that will sell tequila.

The establishment's liquor license is expected to be finalized in late February. A new exterior façade, patio and gift shop are expected to open in a second phase after plans are approved, he said.

The management team includes Delgado, chef Ramiro Alarcon, Manager Javier Valdez and Kitchen Manager Mario Favila. The contractor, Charles Espinoza, has overseen construction.

The hours will be 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 a.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. for Sunday brunch.

Tequila Museo Mayahuel will emphasize "sipping and enjoying" tequilas and artisan cocktails.

Delgado said he initially wanted to serve 50 to 100 tequilas. But he's decided to offer fewer tequilas – both on a drink menu and at the gift shop – to help build an understanding and appreciation on a quintessentially Mexican product.

"I'd really like to focus on tequila families that have created the history and culture of tequila," he said.

K Street now - A photo essay

2011-02-01T06:17:31Z

D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. – led by David Miry and his son, Bay Miry, and Cyrus Youssefi and his son, Ali Youssefi – are currently working with the city on plans to redevelop the south side of the 700 block of K Street.

The developers propose a mix of adaptive reuse and new construction that would include a music club, four restaurants with bars and other retail, second-floor apartments, sidewalk patio seating, rooftop decks for dining and residential use, and a six-story apartment building on the alley.

The developers also plan to restore historic brick and wood storefronts facing K Street.

City staffers expect to bring the project back before the Preservation and Planning commissions and the City Council for final action in May and June. The developers hope to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2011 and open the completed development two and a half years from now.

Above and below are photos of the buildings in their current conditions.

The historic Pacific States Building at 700 K Street will be turned into a live music club with a roof terrace. The club would anchor a key block across from Westfield Downtown Plaza and St. Rose of Lima Park. Built in 1929, the structure combines Renaissance Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival styles.

The building was once home to Pacific States Savings & Loan Co. and more recently the Men's Wearhouse clothing store.

Developers propose building a club big enough to hold 500 people with the addition of space from the neighboring Joe Sun building at 704 K St. Its roof terrace is proposed at 3,225 square feet.

The gray and green Joe Sun Building is L-shaped, with a storefront at 704 K St. and a rear entrance at 1109 Seventh St. Developers will create a new exterior that contrasts with the historic Pacific States Building, right, because the existing exterior was already completely altered and has no historic significance. This was built as the National Dollar Store in 1930.

The interior will open up to the Pacific States Building. The corner music club will take three-quarters of the ground floor and half of the second floor. The other half of the upper floor will be a creative live-work office. The remaining quarter of the ground floor will hold a lobby entry for the upstairs and for a basement sporting ceilings at least 11 feet high that will be used for retail.

Once visited by singer Al Jolson, the former Ancil Hoffman Saloon and Flagstone Hotel at 708 K St. would be converted into a restaurant and bar with retail and four apartments. The saloon was built in 1912. Eight apartments were added upstairs in 1921.

The ground floor of the Plaza Galleria at 712 K St. is expected to be used as retail, possibly by a salon, with three apartments above. The building's eligibility as a landmark is being determined.

The developers would preserve the now orange and white landmark Morelia building at 716 K St. for use as a bakery or coffee shop, with two apartments on top.

The building at 718 K St., where a tattoo business once operated, is planned to house a restaurant and bar/lounge and four apartments overhead. Its basement was once used as a nightclub. Plans call for exposing the basement to the ground floor with the use of a mezzanine, which developers say would be unique for downtown Sacramento. The building would also house a lobby providing access to a second-floor corridor leading to the 17 apartments from 708 - 724 K streets.

The W.T. Grant Co. building at 724 K St. would contain a restaurant and bar on the ground floor and in the block's second-most spacious basement, which features 8- to 10-foot ceilings. The second floor would hold four apartments.

Another potential historic landmark is the former Tower Records at 726 K St. Developers plan to restore the 1970s mural and use the space for retail.

The corner building at 730 K St. – once a home to a a jewelry store – will be built for retail and two apartments above. It had been used as a mini-mart in more recent years.

Plans call for demolishing the old Texas Mexican restaurant at 1114 Eighth St. for the project.

On that alley, developers propose a six-story apartment building with 153 units and a 91-space parking garage. The top floor would have a mezzanine level and rooftop deck with views of the Capitol, while parking would be located underground and on the building's ground floor.

The building would occupy space created by demolishing the back half of some existing 160-foot-deep retail spaces.

That would mean the 19th-Century alley façades would be eliminated. However, developers are working with city staff and city Preservation Commission members to determine how to reuse some of the alley's historic elements. That may include reusing historic brick, windows, doors and fire escapes and other elements on the alley-level façade and interior or rooftop courtyard gardens.

Back view of the historic Morelia building, 716 K St., constructed in 1881. Tailor Patrick Buckley had the structure built with a second-floor residence. The building later housed Gensler-Lee Jewelers, Grayson's Department Store and then Paul's Bargain Center in the 1970s.

Some of the city's historic past can still be viewed with a walk down the alley behind the 700 block of K Street. The Morelia building, 716 K St., contains historic details such as old doors and windows.

A Happier Hour for K Street?

2011-01-31T18:44:55Z

For some time now, K Street has been wavering between its past life as a Sacramento hot spot and its future as a wilting has-been. The busy street is clearly an institution from 9 to 5, but despite the Crest and the constant stream of events, city planners have been struggling to pull in a real evening crowd.

The news is out that a team of fairytale Bay Area developers has joined forces and created Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30. This nightclub-pizza-bar trio hopes to entice the masses for some good old K Street entertainment and after-hours. But is this Bay Area vibe a bit of a stretch in grabbing the attention of the average Midtown resident? Even worse is the grueling task of convincing the average state worker that, despite ridiculous amounts of overtime, they have the energy for just a few more hours after work. Fun it may be, but it still takes energy.

So how will this all shape up? Will we be pleasantly surprised and find ourselves meeting up on K next Saturday? Or will it all be a blur of good press and hearsay, and we'll be left wondering if it will be yet another Subway? Do the mermaids get a pension?

The future is less predictable than we would hope, but I would have to wager that, at the least, Pizza Rock is here to stay. The rock in Pizza Rock is subtle, drawing in those who know trendy and comforting those who don't. A clean, silver chain holding back the heavy floor-to-ceiling black curtains, a Craftsman toolbox serving as the hostess station, and even the bathrooms are tastefully done, with Japanese-esque red walls, weathered framed mirrors and the city-standard 1930s-era hexagonal tile. The Peterbilt barreling out of the wall above the bar is a bit more than subtle, but you have to expect something outrageous from the creators of Dive Bar.

The pizza was dazzling in a way that had me planning my next visit. Five different types of crust, all of them flawless and the perfect blend of real Italian-style pizza and the American level of toppings that we just can't resist. The food was fresh, fast and reasonably priced.

The old-school music had Midtowners and middle-agers alike tapping their feet along with at least a song or two. The beverages were quality and varied with a full bar, a reasonable wine list, and even Bear Republic's Racer 5, a nice nod to the regional craft beer industry that's becoming more popular each day. On the whole, it's stunning that such a well-balanced pizza place was designed by the same people that created a bar with a 7,500-gallon tank filled with scandalously live mermaids.

Hopefully the next newbies on K Street will follow their lead, thinking of all and excluding none, if only so we can wander down the K Street Mall among friends rather than just passing through it on the way home. Currently, it's a bit too much like a deserted rail corridor, where it would be wholly unsurprising to find someone stripped naked in front of Pizza Rock, warming their clothes on the decorative blue flames that were forgotten at closing that night.

Or is a noon rush all that K Street has left?

Dive Bar complex opening

2011-01-17T07:05:42Z

Sacramento residents greeted the city's newest entertainment spots – a mermaid bar, a gourmet pizza restaurant with acrobatic pizza tossers and a high-end dance club – on K Street Mall last week.

Pizza Rock, 1020 K St., opened Friday following sneak previews held earlier in the week at all three businesses.

Sacramento Press’ Mariel Tagg was at Pizza Rock's grand opening Friday, talking to first-time customers and getting some background from co-owner Tony Gemignani:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/43794/Pizza_Rock_opens_to_the_public

Grand openings for Dive Bar and District 30, which flank Pizza Rock, will be held Wednesday.

Community contributors Kati Garner and Ron Nabity covered a VIP sneak-preview party Wednesday night:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/43568/Meet_Downtowns_New_K_Street

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/43561/K_Street_Mall_gets_new_life

Staff reporters Brandon Darnell and Suzanne Hurt included the trio of businesses in year-end development stories:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/42861/A_years_activity_on_K_Street

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/42864/Sacramento_development_in_2010

A story on the exteriors featured an interview with the project's architectural design manager, Michael Boskovich of RMB Architects in Sacramento:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/42329/New_faces_on_K_Street

This story explained one of the delays in the opening:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/38671/Mermaid_bar_to_open_late_2010

A July story looked at owner George Karpaty's concepts and goal to help develop K Street Mall as an entertainment district:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/33333/Fall_opening_expected_for_Dive_Bar

Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton wrote an editorial on the project:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/33330/Karpatys_vision_is_nearly_reality

A story in early 2010 reported that work had resumed on Dive Bar and the two other businesses:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/22142/Mermaid_bar_work_resumes

A story in June 2009 covered interior work by building owners David Taylor and CIM Group and a legal challenge to the project:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/9795/K_Street_Mall_redevelopment_continues

Sacramento Press’ Colleen Belcher wrote about a City Council meeting on the project and how developer and building owner David Taylor and San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty teamed up:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/4179/City_Council_meeting_to_determine_fate_of_K_Street_redevelopment_project

Sacramento Press’ Raoul Kleven got the city’s response to comments made about the city’s effort to redevelop the 1000 block of K Street:

http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/4804/Citys_response_to_10th_and_K_development_project_comments

Photos 1 and 2 by Kati Garner. Photo 3 by Ron Nabity. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

K Street project seen as catalyst

2011-01-15T01:51:49Z

The Sacramento Planning Commission on Thursday applauded a development team's plan for the 700 block of K Street.

D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. – led by David Miry and his son, Bay Miry, and Cyrus Youssefi and his son, Ali Youssefi – propose a mix of adaptive reuse and new construction for the south side of the block.

Since it was introduced, the plan has grown to incorporate Sacramento's historic underground and plenty of outdoor living space, while keeping its residential component smaller and less expensive. The project would also restore historic building façades to help preserve the legacy of K Street, which was once the thriving heart of the city.

The plan calls for 63,780 square feet of retail, which includes a live music club, four restaurants with bars, and shops. The team, which is seeking planning entitlements, also proposes a six-story apartment building with 153 units and a 91-space parking garage. The development would feature sidewalk patio seating in front of nearly every ground-floor space, open-air mezzanines and rooftop decks for dining, bars or residential use.

Planning commission members praised the plan as reasonable yet exciting and varied enough to serve as a catalyst for further development of the troubled K Street Mall.

"That'll clean up that end of the town, and the rest will follow," Commissioner James Frayne said at the meeting Thursday night.

The amount of retail has been nearly doubled from the 37,480 square feet of retail space originally proposed.

The retail square footage was expanded to include another 15,000 square feet of original street-level spaces, which were turned into building basements when the street level was raised in the 1860s and 1870s, and 10,000 square feet of rooftop decks and second-floor mezzanine space. The plan now proposes using the majority of the block's basements for retail after developers got inside and saw how much character the spaces have.

"It blew our minds," Bay Miry said earlier Thursday.

Developers have found retail tenants interested in at least half the space, Ali Youssefi said.

The team also increased the number of alley-front apartments by 17, originally proposed at 136 units. The top floor would have a mezzanine level and rooftop deck with views of the Capitol, while parking would be located underground and on the building's ground floor.

The developers and the city wanted to add as many apartments and as much density as possible. They determined the building could contain five levels of wood construction, which includes a mezzanine level, on top of two stories of concrete cast construction.

The use of wood rather than steel will keep costs down so the units can be priced more affordably, while still meeting seismic requirements and all other building and life-safety requirements due to the smaller size. Rents are still being determined with the city, but could range from $700 to $1,300 for studios to two bedrooms, they said.

Commissioners especially liked plans to protect the Tower Records mural at 726 K St. and to turn the historic Banking Hall building at 700 K St. into a live music club with a roof terrace.

One concern that was expressed was that developers not ignore daytime uses by focusing too much on night clubs, said city Associate Planner Evan Compton.

The developers are seeking retailers who would draw daytime clients, including flower shops, a salon or spa, hard goods and a possible market.

They will spend the next month or two working with the city to determine what kind of financial assistance the city can provide. The city owns the block, but its future ownership is under discussion.

They're also pursuing new market tax credits established by the federal Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 out of "sensitivity" to the city's "limited resources," Youssefi said.

City staff expect to bring the project back before the Preservation and Planning commissions and the City Council for final action in May and June. The developers hope to start construction in the fourth quarter of 2011 and open the completed development two and a half years from now.

Graphics provided by the developers. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

K Street Mall gets new life

2011-01-13T19:10:12Z

The K Street Mall saw some unusual activity last night as the Dive Bar/Pizza Rock VIP Party came to life. Located between 10th and 11th Streets, three new development projects are reaching completion with the intention of pumping new life into the pedestrian mall area. The Dive Bar boasts an enormous salt water fish tank above the bar, complete with live "mer-people" swimming leisurely overhead. Pizza Rock offers gourmet pizzas, a full bar stretching underneath a life-size Peterbilt truck rig crashing through the wall. Pizza Rock's ceiling displays a variation on Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" from the Sistine Chapel - in this version God is handing an electric guitar to Adam. A plush dance club, District 30, rounds out the tri-venue.

The party featured street entertainment of stilt-walkers, a juggler and "girl in a bubble." Inside, the guests were treated to food and drink.

San Francisco nightclub operator George Karpaty stands in front of his three new venues on the K Street Mall.

A passerby walks along the K Street Mall as the VIP party got underway.

The ceiling of Pizza Rock is painted with a variation on Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam."

A full-size big rig is suspended over the bar at Pizza Rock.

The kitchen staff at Pizza Rock mug for a photo prior the party.

One of the wood-burning ovens at Pizza Rock will cook a pizza in 90 seconds.

The Dive Bar features a huge overhead fish tank complete with swimming "mer-people."

The Dive Bar quickly filled with guests.

Bronkar juggles at the entrance to Pizza Rock.

The quiet before the storm - the interior of District 30, a dance club.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson speaks with the media outside the new venues.

Photos by Ron Nabity. Additional photos from the event can be viewed here.

K Street's 700 block to get entertainment, housing

2011-01-06T05:44:56Z

A redevelopment project being considered by the city could help cement K Street Mall's future as an entertainment district.

The proposal that went before the city's Preservation Commission Wednesday night would build a live music club with a roof terrace in the historic Banking Hall building at 700 K St., anchoring a key block across from Westfield Downtown Plaza and St. Rose of Lima Park.

The plan by D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. – led by David Miry and his son, Bay Miry, and Cyrus Youssefi and his son, Ali Youssefi – also proposes four restaurants with bars for the south side of the block, along with 153 new apartments and a nearly 29,000-square-foot, two-level parking garage. The project would add new housing stock and full-time residents to the troubled mall, which is nearly deserted nights and weekends.

"Our intention with this development is to celebrate the buildings that have for years held an exciting place in the history of downtown Sacramento," Ali Youssefi told the commission.

Youssefi's and Bay Miry's fathers taught them to respect old structures and their character. The two young developers and the project's architect, Bob Kuchman, have spent nearly every day of the last six months discovering the charms of the block's historic buildings, Miry said.

"We have so many historic buildings around Sacramento that really need love," he said.

Most of the housing would be contained in a five-story apartment building with a 91-space parking garage on the bottom. The building would occupy space created by demolishing the back half of some existing 160-foot-deep retail spaces.

That would mean the 19th-Century alley façades would be eliminated, although developers discussed reusing the bricks to possibly reconstruct some of the façade on the ground-level or in a rooftop garden courtyard. Other apartments would be built over ground-floor restaurant and retail space.

The plan calls for 63,780 square feet of retail including the restaurants and bars – nearly double what was originally proposed. Developers would create extra space by incorporating basements for retail use. There would be sidewalk kiosks, operated by vendors, on the block and housing would include rooftop gardens.

City staff said they support the way the project would restore historic brick and wood storefronts and incorporate most of the existing buildings facing K Street. They also like the way the area would be invigorated by the music club in an adaptive reuse of the corner landmark building that once held a Men's Wearhouse.

"They've shown sensitivity to the historic nature and pedestrian scale of the area," said Beth Tincher, a senior project manager with the city's Economic Development Department. "They have created a great vision for the 700 block."

The club would be big enough to hold 500 people. Its roof terrace would be 3,225 square feet. Developers plan to use some space from the neighboring Joe Sun building at 704 K St. for the club.

The developers would preserve the landmark Morelia building at 716 K St. for use as a bakery or coffee shop.

The historic Galleria building at 712 K St. could contain a salon and the former Tower Records at 726 K St. – also a potential historic landmark – would get a restored mural and be used for retail. The old Texas Mexican restaurant at 1114 Eighth St. will be demolished for the project, Bay Miry said.

On Wednesday night, city staff asked Preservation Commission members to review the proposal and discuss concerns that would need to be considered during project review in the next few months.

Several commissioners expressed concern over demolition of alley façades, the loss of hollow sidewalks and construction of a flat, industrial-looking alley wall on the apartment building.

Commissioner Fred Turner encouraged developers to do a survey of the historic resources and see what's regulated, including interiors, and to use information from a survey the city funded last year.

Developers will work with city staff to decide how much of the alley façade will be taken apart, how much will be reconstructed and where, Kuchman said.

The city requested proposals to develop the blighted 700 and 800 blocks of K Street in early 2010. The Sacramento City Council chose two teams – one led by D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development, Inc., and the other by Sacramento developer David Taylor – to revitalize the blocks.

D&S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. originally turned in a proposal to build a four-story building with 136 units of "affordable" alley-front housing over podium parking. They also wanted to create 37,480 square feet of retail space by reducing the size of 160-foot-deep retail spaces and devoting the 66-feet-deep leftover space to housing.

The current project application was submitted to the city Dec. 10. Developers are working through the entitlement process and creating a financing plan. The city and its Redevelopment Agency must prepare an environmental review of the plan and evaluate the project's feasibility. Funds must still be secured for the project, Tincher said.

The D&S team was requesting $16 million in RDA funds and would invest $1.5 million in cash equity and $18 million in conventional debt to develop the 700 block, Bay Miry said shortly before the team was chosen last July. At that time, he estimated their project could start six months after being chosen, once entitlements and permits were obtained.

City staff expect to bring the project before the commission and the City Council for final action in May and June.

Developers hope to start construction near the end of the year, Cyrus Youssefi said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Sacramento development in 2010

2010-12-30T03:28:33Z

Development in Sacramento suffered some significant setbacks in 2010. But there were modest moves forward as well, making for a mixed picture heading into 2011.

The focus was on five major projects, which included:

1. The Railyards
A suburban Chicago real estate investment firm, the Inland Real Estate Group of Companies, took ownership of most of Sacramento's historic downtown railyards in a courthouse foreclosure auction held in October. Inland foreclosed on the 203-acre Railyards site after then-owner Thomas Enterprises defaulted on nearly $194 million in loans in June. The two sides had been negotiating on a loan extension for several months but failed to agree on terms. Since October, Inland has been working with city, state and independent contractors to keep infrastructure construction going on such projects as the Fifth and Sixth street bridges and railroad track relocation.

The bridges are expected to be done in January. Work on the $60 million railroad track relocation was delayed after bids came in $12 million over budget in May and Thomas defaulted. In August, the City Council approved a track relocation redesign as part of the first phase of the new train station and public transit center being built adjacent to downtown's Sacramento Valley Station. The city delayed seeking new bids for relocation construction from fall 2010 to January. Inland was scheduled to publicly discuss its approach to the site for the first time at a City Council meeting Dec. 14. The presentation was postponed until early January.

2. Sacramento Arena
The city of Sacramento spent a large portion of 2010 trying to find a workable plan to build a new multipurpose arena to house the Sacramento Kings and host music and other events. Seven development teams made brief, public pitches at City Hall in January. Mayor Kevin Johnson formed an arena task force to consider the proposals. The task force recommended three plans as the top contenders in March. In April, the City Council approved an exclusive negotiation agreement with the Sacramento Convergence Team, a group led by developers Gerry Kamilos and David Taylor. That team lost its exclusive negotiating rights in October after failing to sell Cal Expo officials on their idea: to move the state fairgrounds to the area around Arco Arena and to then allow private development of the existing fairgrounds, which would clear the way to build an arena on city-owned property at the downtown railyards. The mayor reopened the process and set a noon Thursday deadline for new and modified proposals.

3. K Street Mall
Movement also took place on K Street Mall. The most important development took place in July, when the Sacramento City Council chose two teams — one led by D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development, Inc., and the other by Sacramento developer David Taylor — to revitalize the troubled 700 and 800 blocks. Work continued in 2010 on the $4.5 million project by the city and Sacramento Regional Transit to renovate St. Rose of Lima Park and the 700 block streetscape. The City Council also allowed bikes to return to K Street Mall and paved the way for cars to return in 2011.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership hired a retail recruiter to help reduce vacancies, upgrade the retail mix and support business owners in the 66-block property-based business improvement district. Work also got under way on several new K Street Mall businesses. San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty’s crew worked through 2010, and he expects to open Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30 at 1016, 1020 and 1022 K St. in January. Ernesto Delgado also expects to open his Tequila Museo Mayahuel at 12th and K streets in early 2011. Vive Cocina opened in February next to St. Rose of Lima Park

Meanwhile, a grand opening for St. Rose of Lima Park's renovation wasn't held during summer as planned following a conflict that kept the city from turning on the park's new interactive water fountain, or sprayground.

4. Docks Area Riverfront Promenade
In June, the city marked the completion of Pioneer Landing Park and the first phase of the $15 million Docks Area Riverfront Promenade with a ground breaking. The $5.4 million first phase included the park and 1,200 feet of parkway from O Street to R Street. The one-mile promenade is expected to provide a paved path connecting Old Sacramento and Miller Park by 2013 or 2014.

The first phase was paid for with money from State Proposition 40, State Proposition 1B street improvement funds, redevelopment tax increment financing and development impact fees from parks. The city has already applied for nearly $5 million in Proposition 84 grant funding from the state to finance most of the promenade's second phase. The third phase, which would also cost about $5 million, is expected to start in 2013 if funding is available. An estimated $14 million in infrastructure for the Docks Area had been expected to begin between mid-2011 and the start of 2012. The start of infrastructure work is expected to be postponed while the city seeks funding.

Just across I-5 from the Riverfront Promenade and connected by the O Street bridge and refurbished bike and pedestrian viaduct at R Street was the $100 million expansion of the Crocker Art Museum.

5. River District
City staff unveiled the River District Specific Plan, which the City Council is expected to vote on in January. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new, temporary Greyhound bus terminal in August. The $5.4 million bus station is being built at 420 Richards Blvd. on about 1.75 acres in the Discovery Centre development in the River District. The old Greyhound terminal at Seventh and L streets is expected to close in 2011. The bus terminal will eventually move to the new regional transit facility expected to be built in the Railyards development within eight to 15 years.

Work also continued on Sacramento Regional Transit's new green line from downtown to the River District, and eventually, to the airport. Utilities were relocated, track foundation was laid and some overhead poles to hold wire were installed. The line is expected to open in mid-2011, but no date has been determined. In September, Sacramento's Discovery Museum and its partners sought the community's help in applying for $7 million in state grants to build the Powerhouse Science Center. PG&E readied the site near the vacant 99-year-old PG&E power station on Jibboom Street for construction. Museum officials hope to break ground in late 2011 or early 2012 and open the new museum in late 2013 or early 2014.

First photo by Brandon Darnell. Arena graphic provided by the CORE group. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

New faces on K Street

2010-12-17T02:35:39Z

Three new façades add a bit of “wow” to K Street Mall.

Work is close to wrapping up on San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty's new businesses, Dive Bar, District 30 and Pizza Rock. A month away from the expected opening s, contractors applied some of the finishing touches to the exteriors Thursday.

The bar, club and restaurant technically occupy one building, owned by Sacramento developer David Taylor and CIM. But the exteriors were rebuilt to look like three distinct, separate spaces – from sleek contemporary to slightly edgy to quaint, Old World charm.

The façades are like book covers, designed to entice by giving just a taste of what's inside, said the project's architectural design manager, Michael Boskovich of RMB Architects in Sacramento.

"This is – in my opinion, as a longtime local, – a big step up, something that's hopefully very contagious and will have legs in Sacramento," he said. "That's one of the things I appreciate about George's group – stepping out and doing this and, of course, including us."

District 30 at 1022 K St. sports a contemporary, minimalist exterior to match the interior of the sleek, elegant over-30 dance club. Three sets of double glass doors were set in a frame of white, metal composite panels. A copper and bronze "District 30" sign sits beneath 20 gray panels that will feature changing collages of illuminated art once the business opens.

"The sign is very subtle. It's not as much attitude or in your face as Pizza Rock," Boskovich said.

Pizza Rock, with its red neon sign and laser-cut metal flames, seems to burst from between its two sister venues. Filigreed flowers, hearts, stars and butterflies – designed to look like tattoo art – soften the sign, inspired by tattoos worn by Pizza Rock co-owner Tony Gemignani's wife. LED backlights will be added to give the flame a shadow.

Gears were bolted onto the tan travertine tile exterior to emulate old earthquake ties used to reinforce buildings. The centerpiece for an outdoor seating area in front is a glass- and mesh wire-enclosed fireplace built into an industrial-looking copper cauldron made to look like it was reclaimed from a junkyard. Inside, the other side of the cauldron holds one of the restaurant's pizza ovens.

"It's meant to add to the ambiance out here," Boskovich said.

Dive Bar at 1016 K St. was given an Old World hotel feel, with a brick façade and copper-penny storefront. Three curtained, "second-story" windows add to the illusion.

Stockton muralist Carlos Lopez painted Dive Bar's sign to mimic old painted ads still found downtown, including next door at 1030 K St., which contains Ambrosia Cafe. Lopez also painted Pizza Rock's ceiling mural resembling Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" – with the hand of God holding out an electric guitar.

Pizza Rock is expected to open Jan. 14. Dive Bar and District 30 are slated to open Jan. 19. Hours will be 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday through Tuesday, and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The building’s renovation added 15 to 20 feet in height to the exterior. Several one-of-a-kind features were designed to create the three distinct looks.

Boskovich, whose company does a lot of retail restaurant work, said he's eager to see more entrepreneurs use such creative, high-quality exteriors on new businesses.

"I'd like to do more like this in Sacramento," he said. "Sacramento's ready."

Sign photos by Kati Garner. All other photos, including photo of Michael Boskovich of RMB Architects, by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Council members discuss Central City

2010-12-16T02:42:44Z

Sacramento’s Central City has received a lot of media attention for shootings and muggings in recent months. However, the area is also frequently in the spotlight because of large-scale development projects, such as the downtown Railyards or George Karpaty’s trio of businesses on K Street.

The Sacramento Press recently interviewed three City Council members to learn about their plans for the Central City. Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and Councilmen Steve Cohn and Rob Fong shared their priorities for the different parts of the Central City they represent.

Ashby’s portion of the area includes the downtown Railyards, K Street, Old Sacramento, Alkali Flat and the River District. Ashby mentioned the Railyards and K Street Mall as examples of key development sites in her district.

“Some of the best opportunities in the city lie in the downtown portion of District 1,” she said.

As an elected official, she said she wants to help avoid hurdles in the development process. “In my position, I can help make sure they get those projects done in a timely manner,” she said.

Ashby also said she wants to be a behind-the-scenes facilitator for the various groups involved with projects in the area. Stakeholder groups involved with Central City development projects, such as community members, government agencies and environmental organizations, need a “point person” at City Hall, she said, adding that she wants to take on that role.

Public safety in her district, and throughout the city, is a key priority, Ashby said.

Cohn, too, emphasized public safety when asked about his work in District 3. His section of the Central City includes Midtown and part of downtown. His district’s stretch of K Street starts at 16th Street and heads east.

He pointed out the shooting death of a 24-year-old that occurred after a Second Saturday Art Walk event in September. Cohn also mentioned that the neighborhood has bar and nightlife issues. He said he wants neighborhoods and businesses to work together to solve public safety and public nuisance issues in Midtown. In his view, Midtown’s development has been a success, he said.

“I want to make sure it can continue to succeed and not be a victim of its own success,” he said.

On a different topic, he said work is under way to enhance Sutter’s Landing Park on the northeast edge of Midtown.

Meanwhile, Fong said he was excited about the R Street streetscape project in his district. Fong’s piece of the Central City includes part of Midtown and downtown. The street improvements will make the street more pedestrian-friendly and inviting, he said.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the effort to revamp the street with new lighting and parking enhancements was held in September. The street will be remodeled from 10th to 13th streets.

Click on the following links to view maps of City Council Districts 1, 3 and 4.

Learn more about some of Ashby’s priorities for North and South Natomas here.

Photos of Cohn and Fong by Brandon Darnell. Photo of Ashby by David Watts Barton.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Ice skating rink opens

2010-11-05T23:03:57Z

Sacramento's holiday ice-skating rink opened downtown Friday with fanfare and free skating.

About 120 screaming school kids joined Mayor Kevin Johnson, Assemblyman-elect Roger Dickinson and Downtown Sacramento Partnership Executive Director Michael Ault at a noon ceremony to welcome the Westfield Downtown Ice Rink back to St. Rose of Lima Park.

The capital's outdoor winter skating rink was built in Midtown last year during a $4.5 million renovation of the park at Seventh and K streets, the 700 block of K Street and a light rail platform relocation.

"I think the ice rink is back where it belongs," Dickinson told the crowd shortly before he, Johnson and Ault cut a big red ribbon at the rink's entrance.

With a yell, kids in skates blasted onto the ice – where Johnson's Special Assistant R.E. Graswich was already trying his luck by skating for the first time.

"That doesn't mean I can skate. It just means I'm floundering around," said Graswich, who wore a red and white, candy cane-striped tie for the occasion. "They make it look so easy on television."

Neither the mayor nor Dickinson joined him on the 7,000-square-foot ice rink. But students from Washington and Earl Warren elementary schools and Sutter Middle School were more than happy to. They and everyone else who hits the ice Friday skate free until the rink closes at 10 p.m.

This year brings a few changes to the rink, which is operating downtown for its 19th season. Ticket prices for two-hour sessions have been raised from $6 to $8 for kids and adults. Skate rentals will still be $2.

The price hasn't increased in at least six years. But the fee had to be raised after vendor costs went up, DSP Marketing and Outreach Director Lisa Martinez said.

Also new this year are training skates for toddlers and skating lessons. Private skating instructors Chris Kinzer, Carrie Clarke and Holly Thompson will be available for lessons at 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Saturdays. A half-hour lesson is $20 and three lessons are $50, according to DSP Events Manager Annie Stuckert.

People who own skates will need to get them sharpened beforehand, because the ice rink doesn't have a skate sharpener.

To offset the price increase, the rink will offer various specials, including Family Skate Night Tuesdays. One child skates free with each paying adult.

Except for Christmas, the rink will be open daily through Jan. 17, weather permitting. Hours are noon - 8 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Sessions start on the hour.

One thing the ice rink doesn't have: training skates for adults.

"We don't, unfortunately," DSP Marketing Manager Megan Emmerling said. "But we do have lessons."

Lesson reservations must be made in advance by calling DSP at 442-8575. To contact the ice rink, call 442-5563.

Photos 1-3 by Kati Garner. Photo of R.E. Graswich skating by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Photographer Barry Wisdom returned Friday night to capture the shots below.

Mermaid bar to open late 2010

2010-10-13T00:37:34Z

Sacramentans will have to wait just a little longer to watch pizza makers tossing dough and mermaids swimming over bartenders' heads downtown.

The opening of a trio of new K Street establishments – Dive Bar, Pizza Rock and District 30 – has been postponed from this month to late this year.

The delay has come from “surprises” that cropped up while building a structurally sound vault under the sidewalk, said San Francisco nightclub operator George Karpaty.

"Nobody's really late. It's just the way construction goes," he said. "Big projects run into delays. They've done an outstanding job dealing with all the surprises."

The vault will hold three electrical transformers to power the buildings at 1016, 1020 and 1022 K St. A contractor working for developers David Taylor and CIM is expected to complete the work in about a week.

The night spots have been delayed previously. They were initially expected to open in late summer, and then in October. Those dates were too "aggressive," given the work that needed to be done, Karpaty said.

Scaffolding will go up and exterior work will begin once the sidewalk is complete. The kitchen must still be installed at Pizza Rock. Four pizza ovens have been imported from Italy and set in place.

Interiors are more than 80 percent done. Dive Bar's 40-foot-long, 7,500-gallon saltwater tank has been installed. The tank will weigh close to 50 tons once it’s fully loaded with water, mermaids and interior furnishings.

Merpeople – women and men – have been hired. Their costumes are expected to arrive from Florida this week, he said.

Now, Pizza Rock partner Tony Gemignani, a world pizza-throwing champ, is working on the menu. Two mixologists from San Francisco and a general manager are creating handcrafted house cocktails and spiked milkshakes.

"Completion is around the corner," Karpaty said.

K Street cars meeting Thursday

2010-10-12T03:21:22Z

Sacramento residents will get a chance to comment on the city's plan to reintroduce cars to K Street Mall at a community meeting on the issue Thursday evening.

The meeting is one of the last opportunities for people to give feedback on the design concept, which is not yet complete. The Sacramento City Council previously approved a $2.7 million construction and design project allowing cars back on K Street from Eighth to 12th streets.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 - 7 p.m. at the historic City Hall, 915 I St.

The public's input is being sought before the City Council's Nov. 4 meeting. The council will be asked to approve an environmental study and allow the final design work to be undertaken, said the city's Economic Development Department spokesman Maurice Chaney.

The City Council voted in November 2009 to allow bikes back onto K Street. The change took effect Dec. 24, 2009.

K Street Mall was closed to cars in the 1960s. The city's goal is to allow cars back on K Street by late 2011.

Tex Mex opens, Texas Mexican closes

2010-10-08T03:13:50Z

Tex Mex Bar and Grill has opened in Midtown, while a continued loss of business led the long-time original to close downtown.

Owner Mike Keolanui said he's focusing on his newest restaurant, Tex Mex Bar and Grill, and opening two more in Davis and Roseville after "furlough Fridays" and the recession doomed Texas Mexican Restaurant.

He’d initially planned to open Tex Mex as a sophisticated sister restaurant to the establishment that operated just off K Street Mall for 19 years. But Keolanui closed Texas Mexican quietly a month ago, without even posting a note on the door, after losing too much money.

"It was really sad," he said. "The furloughs were killing me. I just couldn't survive."

He’d taken over ownership of the restaurant at 1114 Eighth St. from his now-ex-wife, Griselda Barajas, and her parents Rosa and Victor Barajas in 2007 just as the recession began. Keolanui got the place reopened after it closed during an eminent domain battle between the property owner, Mohammed "Moe" Mohanna, and the city.

Nearly 75 percent of the steadfast downtown restaurant’s clientele were state workers. Despite many empty storefronts on nearby K Street, the restaurant did alright until furloughs began, he said.

The building will be redeveloped as part of a project to breathe new life into the 700 block of K Street. But construction won't begin until late 2011 or early 2012, said Maurice Chaney, spokesman for the city's Economic Development Department.

The building’s redevelopment had no impact on the closing, but Keolanui said he just couldn't hang on until it happens.

Keolanui suggested state furlough days be moved to Mondays to help central city businesses that are continuing to lose revenue from the absence of state workers. Mondays are already slow for many businesses, so furloughs on that day wouldn't hurt so much, he said.

Following more than $350,000 in renovations and some delays, Tex Mex had a soft opening last Friday at 2326 J St. The restaurant with six flat-screen TVs and a custom, recycled-glass bar that glows is now serving Texas-style cuisine with a Latin twist.

The menu includes a skirt steak house specialty, fried oyster nachos and Mama Rosa's Chicken Soup made with roast chicken, rice and avocado, as well as tacos, burritos, salads and enchiladas.

The bar was made from recycled brown beer bottles and blue Skyy Vodka bottles. The bar glows at night and heats up in the winter. Nearly $12,000 worth of lights change color behind the bar back. A tequila tower featuring 60 different brands of tequila will be installed soon.

Additional work on bathrooms will start next week. The exterior, including a sidewalk patio, will be redone.

“I had to get open. It’s been too damn long,” he said.

Hours now are 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. daily. In two weeks, hours expand to 6 a.m. - midnight and the restaurant will serve breakfast after a popular breakfast spot, Cornerstone Restaurant, closed down next door. A grand opening will be held in about a month.

Keolanui will expand the Tex Mex Bar and Grill "mini-chain" to Davis and Roseville. He's still deciding between two buildings in Davis but expects to sign a lease next week. He's also negotiating on a space in Roseville. He expects the Davis restaurant to be open by February and the Roseville restaurant next summer.

He and Griselda Barajas said they remain close friends and support each other’s careers. She was just a teen when her parents opened their first restaurant, Atlantes Mexican Restaurant, on 12th Street. They ran several others in Sacramento before Texas Mexican. She now owns and operates Griselda's Catering and Tex Mex @ the Capitol.

While sad that Texas Mexican could no longer make it, Barajas said she's happy he's opened Tex Mex. He's continuing to serve many of her mother's recipes and employ many of their long-time employees, she said.

"He is so passionate about it," she said. "He's someone I know that can continue with the family recipes and the traditions."

Food photo provided by Tex Mex Bar and Grill. Other photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter covering business and development at The Sacramento Press.

Splash park's opening stalled

2010-08-12T04:38:14Z

Summer 2010 is circling the drain, while a new fountain at St. Rose of Lima Park remains dry.

An interactive fountain, also known as a “sprayground” or “splash park,” was scheduled to begin operating earlier this summer at the renovated park at Seventh and K streets. The park's remodel was part of a $4.5 million project to help transform a blighted block of K Street Mall, and was expected to be completed in November 2009.

The fountain could be fully operational. But concerns about waterborne diseases and water conservation – and a resulting conflict between city and county regulators – appear to have kept it from being turned on.

The fountain’s grand opening was expected in June, then delayed until July, then put off indefinitely with no explanation from the city. City staff have declined interview requests.

The problem boils down to this: The city could run the fountain using drinking water from the city water treatment system. Or it could use the fountain's self-contained water recirculation system.

"That's kind of a city call whether they would do that," said John Rogers, division chief for Sacramento County's Environmental Management Department.

According to an e-mail sent Wednesday by city spokesman Maurice Chaney, city staff want to be "environmental stewards" by choosing the second option.

"We are sensitive to the...need to be as water conservative as possible," according to the e-mail. "We are...determining plans for the use of the recirculating feature and working closely with the county on the requirements."

But using recirculated water would change the safety requirements for the fountain. For one thing, the city would have to supply a temporary toilet and shower and drinking water for the public until a permanent facility is built.

The county approved the fountain’s design. The two agencies have been talking about the fountain and the toilet and shower requirement for two years, said Colleen Maitoza, who supervises the county's swimming pool program.

In 2001, the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health created guidelines for interactive fountains, defining them as “special purpose pools” that fall under pool codes. The splash parks are considered pools because they were designed for people to play in, and thus must be inspected and permitted by Sacramento County, Maitoza said.

State law requires interactive fountains to have public toilets, showers, diaper-changing facilities and drinking fountains to help prevent the spread of illnesses, including those spread by diarrhea, just like public pools, she said.

Stricter regulations involving water treatment and hygiene facilities have been adopted in California and other states following outbreaks of waterborne illnesses picked up at pools, water parks, splash parks and other recreational water facilities. Seven kids were infected with Cryptosporidium at a San Jose interactive fountain in 2006.

In Idaho, where splash parks aren't regulated by the state's pool code, 49 people were infected with Cryptosporidium — and ensuing diarrhea, vomiting, fever, cramps and aches — at a newly constructed splash park in 2007, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control report.

In New York, a class-action lawsuit against the state parks department may soon go to trial after 4,000 people became sick with Cryptosporidiosis from a spray park at Seneca Lake State Park in 2005.

The St. Rose of Lima Park fountain was designed with two water systems, following the newest guidelines. One system can use potable water from the city's public water system. The other recirculates water from a 4,000-gallon tank into the fountain, then back into a self-contained filtration system using chlorine and a UV treatment system to clean and disinfect the water. UV light is used to destroy parasites that cause gastro-intestinal illnesses and are chlorine-resistant, Maitoza said.

The fountain was tested earlier this summer. A county Environmental Health Division inspector approved the fountain to begin operating using city-treated drinking water on June 7. Using that system, fewer jets would operate so the fountain would use less water, she said.

In early July, the city sought county permission to operate the fountain using recirculated water for a grand opening and the rest of the month. The county gave the city the option of using temporary hygiene facilities until permanent facilities are built, Rogers said.

"It's really critical because that water is being recirculated," Rogers said. "It's important that if people need to use the restroom, they have a special facility."

The requirements have led some fountains to be shut down. A water feature on the parking garage next to City Hall isn’t operated because the city would have to spend up to $100,000 to retrofit the fountain to clean the water, said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association and a former city councilman.

"It's been a local issue all up and down the state," Kerth said. "There are some places where there are fountains that are dry with signs that say, 'If you don't like it, call your county supervisor.' "

City staff are currently evaluating options, according to the e-mail.

"We are working with the county to come up with a workable solution to operate the fountain using recirculating water, and we remain committed to opening the fountain as soon as possible," according to the statement provided by Chaney.

Which may mean that the new K Street fountain gets its grand opening sometime in the summer – of 2011.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Fall opening expected for Dive Bar

2010-07-23T05:43:33Z

Dive Bar and two sister nightlife venues are expected to open within three months on K Street, breathing new life into the struggling pedestrian mall well ahead of other developments.

San Francisco nightclub operator George Karpaty's trio of nightlife venues has been seen as competition by some at a time when local businesses continue to struggle and even close. Karpaty said he was lured to Sacramento partly by the success of nearby venues such as Social Nightclub, Ella, Grange and the Citizen Hotel.

But Karpaty said he's developed concepts — a "mermaid bar," a gourmet pizza restaurant with acrobatic pizza tossers and a high-end, over-30 dance club — to further develop K Street Mall into an entertainment district and to bring people from as far away as the Sierra Nevada foothills. He's using expertise gained from opening places like Ruby Skye and Slide, popular bars that draw Sacramentans to San Francisco.

"We're going to blow K Street up," said Karpaty, owner of Inner Circle Entertainment. "We're not bad guys. We're going to promote downtown."

Karpaty and his crews were working Thursday at the site, one week after the Sacramento City Council chose developer David Taylor and another development team to redevelop vacant properties for two nearby blocks. While those mixed-use projects are expected to bring much-needed retail and housing to the street, they aren't expected to open for at least two years.

Karpaty's concepts will be new to Sacramento. He's also pioneering some nightclub operations in this city that he'll then use at his other establishments.

Dive Bar, at 1016 K St., will feature a 40-foot-long, 7,500-gallon saltwater tank with fish and costumed mermaids, both male and female, set over the bar in a room just 18 feet across. Structural steel beams have been installed on the ground floor and in the basement to hold up the tank and reinforce the floor underneath.

"It's the most insane thing I ever took on," Karpaty said. “If a massive earthquake hits Sacramento, this aquarium will be the only thing left standing.”

The front of the bar is being built to evoke a classic Sacramento dive bar, complete with worn-looking couches. But beyond a giant “hole” in the back wall, the club opens into a main room topped by the aquarium, which is being fabricated from a single piece of Plexiglas by a former Monterey Bay Aquarium builder.

"The fish tank won't look like anything else in the world," Karpaty said. "I'm not into starfish and treasure chests."

Next door, Pizza Rock will feature a DJ playing classic to modern and funky rock from a California-made Peterbilt truck breaking through the ceiling 15 feet in the air and surrounded by chain-link fencing and barbed wire.

World pizza-throwing champ Tony Gemignani, a partner at the restaurant, will train the staff to juggle dough, while bartenders will juggle bottles and glasses.

The ceiling will be covered with a mural that mimics Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam" — but the hand of God will be holding an electric guitar. The men's bathroom will feature exterior piping and graffiti to make it appear that guys are “peeing in the alley,” Karpaty said.

But the food will still steal the show, Karpaty said. Four types of pizzas will be made in four different custom-built pizza ovens imported from Italy. One of the ovens, positioned near the sidewalk for high visibility, will cook pizzas at 900 degrees - in 90 seconds.

"It comes down to food," he said. "I guarantee our food will exceed any theme."

The third venue, District 30, at 1022 K St., will be the most modern of the venues. An artistic glass facade will use movable photos of art, flowers and people, set behind 4-x-4-foot glass panels to create the front exterior. A covered patio in front will open onto a sidewalk seating area.

Inside, a 600-square-foot dance floor will share space with a 30-foot bar, "ultra" VIP areas and "peek-a-boo" booths with small cutouts in the backs so customers can interact and people watch. The club will hold up to 300. Finishes will be created with exotic materials including woods from Japan and France and ostrich skin.

The bar will use music to attract a crowd of mature, experienced clientele aged 30 to 50. The idea was to create a place for people who want to have fun and socialize, and who know how to have a good time without causing trouble, he said, adding that people shouldn't have to stop going to dance clubs just because they may no longer be in their 20s.

"Why is it that, when you turn 30, you can't go to a dance club? That's just nutty," he said. "People will look at this and go — 'Oh, finally: Something for grownups.’ "

Last February, Karpaty said he expected all three venues to be open by late summer. They are now expected to open in October. Work by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District to add an electrical transformer to power the buildings in an underground vault under the sidewalk in front is delaying the opening by a few weeks, Karpaty said.

SMUD is waiting for the customer to finish work on the vault and then will install the transformer, said SMUD spokeswoman Dace Udris.

Karpaty will be leasing three spaces at 1016, 1020 and 1022 K St. from developer David Taylor. Taylor is redeveloping the long-vacant building, as well as one next door at 1012 K St., with $5.7 million in city subsidies tied to the sale of the Sheraton Hotel. Karpaty plans to invest up to $2 million on the venues, he said Thursday.

In 2008, the city agreed to split $50 million in profits from the sale of the $130 million hotel with Taylor and CIM for development in the J, K and L streets corridor. The developers are still pursuing tenants for 1012 K St. Taylor also turned an old Woolworth's into the Cosmopolitan next door.

Karpaty and a friend, Adam Goldstein — a Los Angeles DJ and musician known as DJ AM — began looking for opportunities to open an entertainment venue here three years ago. Their idea was to open a megaclub. They toured dozens of Sacramento clubs and bars for six months while searching for the right spot.

"We saw opportunities other people didn't," Karpaty said.

Goldstein died of a drug overdose last summer. But Karpaty didn't give up. The broker who originally helped them in their quest called back to suggest Taylor's project on K Street. The ability of nearby venues to thrive — even though they were the first few to open on and around the long-troubled pedestrian mall — told him Sacramento had "an appetite for high-end (even) in a horrible economy," Karpaty said.

"We didn't want to wait to be the last one on the island," he said.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council chooses two teams to revamp K Street

2010-07-14T06:16:58Z

In an upset vote, the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday chose two teams — one led by D & S Development, Inc. and CFY Development, Inc. and the other by Sacramento developer David Taylor — to revitalize two troubled blocks on K Street Mall.

In a split vote of 5 to 4, the council agreed to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with the teams endorsed by a selection committee to redevelop the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street. The majority of council members opted not to follow the recommendation of Mayor Kevin Johnson's ad hoc committee to give the entire project to the Sacramento Alliance Team, led by Rubicon Partners, St. Anton Partners and Preferred Capital Advisors.

"We need to be bold in our vision but also be realistic," said Councilman Kevin McCarty, who made the motion to approve those two teams.

Councilmembers Bonnie Pannell, Sandy Sheedy, Lauren Hammond and Robbie Waters mentioned developers' track records and the projects they thought could get done when they joined McCarty to approve D & S and CFY and their $35.5 million proposal to redevelop the 700 block. They also voted for Taylor and Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden to take on the 800 block with a proposed $46 million project.

The vote may have hinged on Waters and his detailed questions to all three development teams about construction schedules, public subsidies and other financing. Under Water's’ questioning, Taylor said he has nine months to a year to use roughly $20 million in redevelopment funds remaining from the city's $130 million sale of the Sheraton Hotel to Taylor.

"I supported every ambitious project downtown," Pannell said, referring to her time on the council. "Tonight, I can only support the project I think is gonna get done."

The council's decision followed an hour of public comment from about 30 people on the issue. Residents, preservationists, local business owners and labor union representatives overwhelmingly spoke out in favor of the two teams and their proposals, which were described as "safe" and "financially realistic" plans to build housing and primarily homegrown live music venues and retail by restoring historic buildings on $40 million in city-owned land.

Bill Burg, preservation chair of the Sacramento Old City Association, pushed for the two teams and their proposals to preserve the city's "existing urban fabric" rather than demolishing landmarks to build something else.

"Instead of revinventing K Street again, we can reconnect K Street to downtown Sacramento," he said.

Waters and other council members said they were concerned about the financing for the Sacramento Alliance Team's $210 million proposal. That plan was built around a 32,500-square-foot public market, tentatively called the California Boqueria, an adjacent office building, 213 artist live/work units and 75,000 square feet.

The negotiating phase is expected to take up to six months, according to city staff.

Just before the vote, Johnson said he may have made a mistake in asking the council in May to approve an ad hoc committee after the city's selection committee had already recommended developers for K Street Mall.

"I think the process feels a little fishy. And I need to acknowledge that," he said. "The intent was not to create this dynamic. I would agree that I think we could do this much better."

Johnson recommended the council reevaluate how it uses ad hoc committees in the future. But he said he appreciated the way the council and the community respectfully debated the issue and the proposals.

"This to me was a great discussion," he said.

Photos by Brandon Darnell. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Council to choose K Street developers

2010-07-13T02:13:00Z

The Sacramento City Council is set to vote Tuesday night on the developers who will tackle the blighted K Street Mall.

The question before the council is whether to support the recommendation of Mayor Kevin Johnson's ad hoc committee to go with the biggest proposal, which has a "Boqueria" public market as its centerpiece, or to back two other proposals to redevelop the troubled 700 and 800 blocks of K Street on $40 million in city-owned land.

Only one selection committee had been identified in the city's request for qualifications. Last month, that committee recommended the 700 block be redeveloped by D & S Development and CFY Development, with their Promenade on K project estimated at $35.5 million. The committee also recommended the 800 block be redeveloped for an estimated $46 million by Sacramento developer David Taylor and Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden. Downtown Sacramento Partnership endorsed those selections.

Johnson's committee, which included City Council members Steve Cohn, Rob Fong and Ray Tretheway, on Thursday announced its preference for the $210 million project by the Sacramento Alliance Team, led by Rubicon Partners, St. Anton Partners and Preferred Capital Advisors. The ad hoc committee was formed to study the proposals in more depth and bring the council members more detail than what they would get at a council meeting, Cohn said.

"The ad hoc commitee of the council went with the more exciting proposal that seemed to have more promise to turn around not just that portion of K Street, but also to rejuvenate downtown with a unique concept," Cohn said. "I think the screening committee was going for the safety of what they thought could get done."

The council will have a challenge making a selection and providing direction to staff and developers Tuesday night, he said.

"It's going to be incumbent on the council to give guidance on tight time frames, and if this thing's not financeable, that we don't let too much time go by before figuring out if it can't be done," he said. "If it can't, then we'll need to fall back to one of the other two that were recommended."

The City Council was initially scheduled to make its selection in May.

The nine-member council must choose between three out of four teams that submitted proposals in March. At least two of those teams have been intensely lobbying the City Council, city staff and the community in the days and weeks prior to the vote.

The D & S and CFY development team — led by D & S partners David Miry and Steve Lebastchi, Miry's son Bay, CFY owner Cyrus Youssefi and his son Ali Youssefi — has sent more than 500 e-mailed petition signatures to the City Council.

On Saturday, they held an online petition drive at Shady Lady, at 1409 R St. So many signatures flooded City Council e-mail boxes that they closed down their project’s website Monday at the city’s request, Miry said.

Representatives from the Sacramento Old City Association, the Environmental Council of Sacramento and local construction trade unions have thrown their support behind the project and are expected at the council meeting. At least eight local business owners with ideas for the 700 block's spaces have voiced support as well, he said.

The D&S team is requesting $16 million in existing city Redevelopment Assistance funds and would invest $1.5 million in cash equity and $18 million in conventional debt to develop the 700 block, Miry said.

That team was "surprised" when the mayor appointed an ad hoc committee to take a second look at the proposals, said D & S official Bay Miry.

"It certainly caught us off guard," he said. "We thought it was a slam dunk once we received the recommendation of the selection committee."

The Mayor's office did not return a phone call seeking comment.

The Rubicon team — the same developers behind the creation of the Citizen Hotel — on Monday provided last-minute information to council members and city staff on numbers contained in the city staff report posted Thursday. Two weeks ago, they held a reception to present the community with more details about their proposal. Representatives from organizations including the California State Board of Food and Agriculture and the California Travel and Tourism Commission have thrown their support behind the team, and individuals have e-mailed through the team's website.

That team's proposal would require $99 million in public subsidies, according to the city staff report, which also identified an $80 million funding gap.

However, the team said the funding gap is $50 million, but sources to fill that gap have been identified as coming from private investment by the food and agriculture industry, state funds and federal funds, and a $13.5 million parking bond. No money would come from the city's general fund, said Project Director J-E Paino of Rubicon Partners.

"The size of the gap is smaller than it appears," he said. "Funding has not been obtained, but funding sources have been identified. We know where we're going to go to get them. But we can't go get them until we get control of the land."

The team would invest more than $122 million in private debt and equity into the project, which calls for $19.6 million in RDA funds. Paino said they expect another $19.5 million to come from project-generated tax increment funds, permits and fees, according to information provided to the city.

The team also proposed a $25 million parking bond, according to the city staff report, which said the city can't undertake that debt. Paino said Monday the team withdrew a request for a $12 million parking bond for the 700 block.

Taylor could not be reached for comment.

Supporters of the development teams are expected to turn out at Tuesday night's council meeting.

SOCA supports the selection committee's recommendations partly because the teams would preserve the historic buildings on the 700 and 800 blocks, including Bel-Vue Apartments, rather than just their facades, said SOCA Board Member Kay Knepprath, past president.

"Both of those proposals are realistic and can happen soon," she said. "We are concerned that the city choose developers who have adequate financing and can make it happen."

The council's dilemma really stems from the existence of such strong proposals, Cohn said.

"What's reflected that you have three out of the four teams being recommended is that we really had excellent proposals," Cohn said. "It's a good problem to have in that it's a tough choice."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor's team chooses K Street developers

2010-07-08T22:32:11Z

An ad hoc committee led by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson is backing the developers of the Citizen Hotel to redevelop the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street Mall with a huge public market as the centerpiece.

The committee, made up of four City Council members - Steve Cohn, Rob Fong, Ray Tretheway and Johnson - is recommending that the Sacramento Alliance Team led by Rubicon Partners, St. Anton Partners and Preferred Capital Advisors be given the project to revamp city-owned property on those blocks, according to a city staff report released Thursday afternoon.

The City Council is set to vote on the matter Tuesday.

Last month, a special committee set up by the city recommended two other teams to handle the redevelopment. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership endorsed those selections. Since then, intense lobbying and social media network tools have been used by teams vying for the work.

The project being recommended by the ad hoc committee would center around a 35,000-square-foot public market, tentatively called the California Boqueria, that would showcase the state's food and wine at the corner of Eighth and K streets. The team also proposed an adjacent office building for agricultural tenants such as produce associations and statewide groups. They’re proposing 213 artist live/work units and 60,000 square feet of retail on the 700 block.

The team includes Kipp Blewett and Pete Thompson of Rubicon, Grange Executive Chef Michael Tuohy, Steve Eggert and Pete Geremia of St. Anton Partners, and Dan Corfee and Craig Zarro of Preferred Capital Advisors.

Four teams presented proposals in February. A committee set up by the city had recommended D & S Development, Inc., and CFY Development, Inc., to redevelop the 700 block and a group led by Sacramento developer David Taylor and Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden to take on the 800 block. The fourth team was made up of Bridge Housing, Saca Development and Bagatelos Development LLC.

Boqueria centerpiece for K Street plan

2010-06-29T05:47:41Z

They brought Sacramento the Citizen Hotel and its restaurant, Grange.

Now that same team is proposing an even more ambitious downtown project. Calling themselves the Sacramento Alliance Team, the partners behind the Citizen Hotel are seeking Sacramento City Council approval to redevelop the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street Mall.

Two weeks before a council vote on the matter, they held an open meeting on the plan's centerpiece: a 35,000-square-foot public market, tentatively called the California Boqueria, that would showcase the state's food and wine at the corner of Eighth and K streets.

Two of the partners, Rubicon Partners co-founder Kipp Blewett and Grange Executive Chef Michael Tuohy, encouraged about 120 people at the meeting to sign an online petition, e-mail the council and tell their friends about the project.

"What we really need is your support to move forward with this," Tuohy said at a Citizen Hotel reception featuring California wine, artisan cheeses and local produce. "It's about telling the city of Sacramento that this is very important and this is what we need and this is what you want."

Four teams — including the Sacramento Alliance Team — answered the city's request for proposals to redevelop the troubled K Street Mall blocks and submitted ideas in March. Last month, a selection committee created by the city recommended two other teams to develop those blocks. Those teams, led by developers David Taylor and Cyrus Youssefi, were also endorsed earlier this month by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership board, of which Blewett is president.

The proposal by Blewett's team was bigger and more complicated to finance, and may just need to be analyzed further, said Project Director J-E Paino of Rubicon Partners.

"We didn't present anything that we think is pie in the sky and that we can't deliver," he added.

The partners chose to anchor their proposal with a food and agricultural complex because they believe it could kick-start downtown's revitalization — bringing 1 million annual visitors to Sacramento, the largest city in the Central Valley and the center of the country's largest agricultural economy, they said.

"People come here for food and wine, as well as scenery," Tuohy said. "We have the opportunity to write our own script about what is agri-tourism, California-style."

The roughly $30 million Boqueria would include a 25,000-square-foot ground floor with a farmers' market that would tentatively operate from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily and open onto K Street via large, rolling doors; a wine-tasting room; an Italian coffee bar; eight food carts; exhibit space and an academic demo restaurant. A 10,000-square-foot mezzanine would include a kitchen theater, deli and more exhibit space.

The proposal was developed to meet the city's request for something "catalyic," which could entertain and bring people from the suburbs, while also turning the city's negative image as a "dusty cow town" into a positive image as the center of the farm-to-plate movement, Blewett said.

"What we came up with is the concept of healthy lifestyle ... centered around food and wine," he said.

Other partners include Pete Thompson of Rubicon, Steve Eggert and Pete Geremia of St. Anton Partners, and Dan Corfee and Craig Zarro of Preferred Capital Advisors.

The Boqueria is proposed to be built on currently vacant city-owned land and owned by a public/private cooperative. Construction would be financed by federal and state money, as well as substantial investment from California farmers and landowners, one of the wealthiest groups in the state, Paino said.

The structure could be finished by 2013. The team also proposed an office building, from 150,000 to 300,000 square feet, for agricultural-oriented tenants such as produce associations and statewide groups. The building, called the California World Food and Agriculture Center, could be built across the alley at Eighth and L streets, or be attached to the Boqueria following negotiations with the owners of two other buildings on K Street, he said.

The proposal's first phase in the 700 block calls for 213 alley-facing artist live/work units that would cost $1,000 a month for 1,200 square feet and 60,000 square feet of retail, including a brewery and blues bar. Work could begin immediately and be finished by late 2012 or early 2013. Financing would include the city's $20 million land donation and $20 million in redevelopment bond money, Paino said.

The second-phase office building would be finished a year later. A hotel has also been proposed for a third phase, but that would be put off until the economy improves, he added.

People at the meeting included foodies, farm and tourism representatives, city planners and UC Davis food science representatives.

A food and wine center collecting the best of the region and the state in one place would help California farmers, said Dan Best, who organizes most of Sacramento's farmers' markets.

"This is the center of the garden of Eden of food production," he said. "Why don't we have a center that showcases that?"

Lost guitar blues

2010-05-13T02:45:31Z

Sacramento residents might be wondering what's become of the Hard Rock Cafe's giant guitar.

The loss of the 36-foot red and orange six string — taken down when the restaurant closed in late March — has left a big hole at Westfield Downtown Plaza's main entrance. But like Neil Young said, "This old guitar ain't mine to keep. It's only mine for awhile."

The neon-lit Gibson Les Paul replica had become a local landmark after being installed at the shopping mall's Seventh Street entrance in 1997.

Sacramento was one of the few Hard Rock establishments to get a giant guitar. Out of 163 locations worldwide, only about 20 have exterior guitars that are 30 feet or longer. Las Vegas has two: a 45-foot guitar and a 90-foot one. All three would stand in the shadow of the world's largest, the 112-footer that withstood Hurricane Katrina at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi.

Locals can't be blamed for wondering if the iconic guitar moved to Seattle, where a cafe opened in February, or to Los Angeles' Hollywood Boulevard, where another cafe is set to open this summer.

A Hard Rock Cafe spokesperson was able to shed more light on the guitar's fate.

Turns out, Sacramento's guitar didn't end up at the new Seattle cafe. That location sports a replica of a 15-foot Fender Jag-Stang designed by late Nirvana guitarist Kurt Cobain.

When a Hard Rock Cafe closes, all of its memorabilia is shipped back to headquarters for refurbishing and redistribution, said the spokesperson, who asked not to be identified.

For now, the guitar is sitting in a dark corner of some palm-tree shaded warehouse at the corporation's Orlando headquarters.

"It's there and waiting for another location," she said.

Still my guitar gently weeps....

Photos by Suzanne Hurt.

Retail recruiter starts downtown

2010-05-05T02:40:50Z

Valerie Mamone-Werder walked K Street Mall on a wet morning last week.

Wrapped in a black trench coat, Downtown Sacramento Partnership's new retail recruiter didn't seem to notice the dark clouds bulging with the day's next rainstorm. She seemed too full of excitement.

"I love all these old buildings," Mamone-Werder said, standing near a corner of 10th and K streets.

She pointed out what's happening near that important spot: the sophisticated vibe The Cosmopolitan cabaret, café and nightclub have brought to a corner once inhabited by Woolworth's, and the work under way nearby to turn a former Hit or Miss clothing store into Dive Bar and Pizza Rock. She also discussed the potential for the empty space between the two businesses that once housed a Rite Aid and the vacant Roos-Atkins Building at 1001 K St., later renamed K Street West.

Mamone-Werder, a former Midtown boutique owner, started April 6 as the property-based improvement district's first retail recruiter. The move to create the position was recommended by Downtown Works, a Washington, D.C., retail consultancy firm that analyzed retail in the J-K-L corridor. The report indicated that downtown needs to improve retail to start thriving again.

Her job will be to help shrink the number of vacancies, upgrade the mix of retail, and support existing business owners within the 66-block business district. At the top of her list will be developing better relationships with business and property owners, developers and brokers.

"It's not just re-tenanting. It's about what we can do to help you as a business owner be more successful," said DSP Executive Director Michael Ault.

Mamone-Werder said her experience as a local retail business owner will allow her to help retail store owners. She has been at her job for a month, but she's lived in Sacramento for 22 years. She owned a women's clothing store called Blush Boutique at 2317 J St. for five years, until closing the store in April 2009.

"I understand what it's like to start from ground zero and build a business," she said.

Mamone-Werder plans to scout out successful retail districts in other areas to see what's working. She's visited Portland's Pearl District and will tour a thriving section of Nashville during a business recruiter's conference later this month.

Another part of her job will be to recruit entrepreneurial business owners with "independent" store models who want to locate in unique, sometimes historic buildings — rather than the kind of chains that set up the exact same store in a mass-saturation retail campaign. She will also help those business owners find space downtown.

She envisions more open-air markets selling fresh food, an independent bookstore, home accessory stores and a variety of unique clothing stores to appeal to various age groups, tastes and incomes. For instance, something like the Lizard Lounge, a Portland clothing store that is as much a hangout as it is a retailer, with a ping-pong table, couches and computers sharing space with clothes racks.

Mamone-Werder will also create an available property database that is more detailed and current than other real estate databases for downtown properties, including CoStar. She's finished viewing all the building exteriors in the district. She's begun meeting with business and property owners and brokers, and touring property interiors to collect more personalized information. She's also recruiting help with keeping the database up to date.

She's just starting to ask for everyone's help to make DSP's vision for downtown a reality.

"I feel like people are waiting for some big 'something' to happen," Mamone-Werder said. "And I don't know if that's going to happen, or if we all need to come together and just take a risk to make it happen."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

City staff: Cars on K good for business

2010-04-28T22:44:18Z

Now that city leaders have dedicated $2.7 million in funding to add cars to the K Street pedestrian mall, what exactly does the city hope to achieve from the effort? 

Mayor Kevin Johnson and city staffers have said that the move to include cars on K Street would be a boon for business and would also make the street safer. 

Johnson said at a Monday press conference that automobile traffic on K Street — banned since the late 1960s — would create numerous advantages for the city. “It increases visibility for all the retail...stimulates our activity in terms of K Street, and pedestrian malls are a thing of the past,” he said, adding that the cars would also improve public safety on the thoroughfare.

The city plans to make the area bordering Eighth and 12th streets on K Street ready for cars by mid-to-late 2011, said Denise Malvetti, a senior project manager for the city’s Economic Development Department. The estimated $2.7 million construction and design budget for the project comes from local transportation funds for economic development projects, she said.

Funds for the project do not come from the city’s general fund, an April 27 report from the city’s Economic Development and Transportation Departments noted.

The construction part of the project’s budget includes funding for new stop lights and for reprogramming existing stop lights, Malvetti said.

In making their argument for adding cars to K Street, city staffers are citing the work of Downtown Works, a consulting group that wrote a report on downtown issues for the city and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership.

“Downtown Works strongly recommends the city of Sacramento follow the direction of dozens of other U.S. cities and re-open K Street to vehicular traffic which will both aid in the reconnection of the grid and enhance the retail viability,” the April 27 staff report states.

Eugene, Chicago and Louisville are some of the cities that have reversed course to add cars to their pedestrian malls, according to the report.

Councilman Steve Cohn said he backed the idea of including cars on K Street, but he raised concerns about an $800,000 portion of the budget that would have otherwise been spent on streets in his district.

Cohn’s concern translated into the following City Council decision: During the city’s budget process, the city will re-examine the project’s funding sources.

Transforming K Street into a pedestrian mall was “a mistake from the beginning,” Cohn said.

Also on Tuesday, K Street business leaders and local organizations that promote economic development spoke in favor of letting people drive their cars on K Street. These supporters included developer David Taylor; Kevin Greene, policy manager for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership; Mike Testa, vice president of communications and public affairs for the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau; Richard Lewis, executive producer of California Musical Theatre; and Sid Garcia-Heberger, operator of the Crest Theatre.

Greene said that cars on the street would boost public safety and be “a key step toward a greater retail viability.”

Downtown resident John Deeter was the lone speaker at the meeting who opposed the idea. He called K Street “a refuge” from cars.

Photo by Suzanne Hurt.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

K Street Mall ready for bicyclists

2010-04-15T04:40:47Z

From now on, Doug Koleada will be a law-abiding citizen when he rides his bicycle on the K Street Mall.

The city of Sacramento has installed new signs on K Street that list rules for bike riding. Cycling can now commence legally on the Mall from Seventh to 13th Streets and in the tunnel between Second and Fourth Streets.

Koleada was riding his bike near the Westfield Downtown Plaza Wednesday afternoon. He readily admitted to biking on K Street in the evenings; his nighttime rides will now be perfectly legal.

The Pyramid Alehouse Brewery employee said he knew about the city’s former ban on bicycling on K Street Mall, so he didn’t bike there when police officers were in sight.

Koleada also didn’t bike when children were walking on the Mall. “If some idiot’s speeding on their bike, it could lead to an ugly accident (with a child),” he said.

The new signs were ready for the public Wednesday, according to Linda Tucker, spokeswoman for the city’s Department of Transportation.

Tucker noted that cyclists will still need to walk their bikes through the Westfield Downtown Plaza.

The City Council unanimously voted on Nov. 24 to let bicyclists ride on K Street Mall. Installing the signage was the last step in the city's process of legalizing bikes on the Mall.

The speed limit for bicyclists on the K Street Mall is 10 miles per hour.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

City considering K Street developers

2010-03-23T06:04:32Z

Not everyone can agree on what the future K Street should look like when it comes to putting hammer to nail.

Four development teams vying for work and the chance to make their mark on this key piece of downtown real estate have at least one thing in common: they all recognize the possibility of using federal low-income housing tax credits and historic tax credits to create a mixed-use neighborhood integrating the street's historic architecture.

"That's a major opportunity," said Sacramento developer David Taylor, a team leader for the group 700-800 K Street, LLC, at a presentation hearing scheduled by the city of Sacramento Monday night. "It's a major headache as well."

Each team wants to build housing, retail and office space. But plan details and team philosophies differ.

For instance, Rubicon Partners Inc., St. Anton Partners and Preferred Capital Advisors want to build a neighborhood around a 35,000-square-foot farmer's market, 2,000-seat entertainment venue, a 22,000-square-foot grocery store and an artisan alley with artists' apartments over their ground-floor work spaces. The plan calls for 100,000 square feet of retail — far larger than the three other plans.

"We're looking for a game-changer on K Street," said Kipp Blewett, co-founder of Rubicon Partners and chairman of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The team believes the project will draw people downtown again after other plans have failed.

The farmer's market and sizeable entertainment venue would not be located far from a mixed-use redevelopment under way in the railyards downtown, where the city appears likely to build a future sports and entertainment arena. Thomas Enterprises is in the midst of a $5 million cleanup of the railyards' historic "Central Shops" and restoration of a 56,000-square-foot historic building that will house an open-air public market at the heart of the 244-acre development.

The K Street development team members see themselves as supporters, rather than competitors with Thomas or the arena developer. However, this team's farmer's market could be built within three to five years, while Thomas' might not be built for seven to 10, Blewett said.

"We're ready to go on K Street," he added. "We're ready to go now."

Thomas Enterprises could not be reached for comment.

Another team — Bridge Housing, Saca Development and Bagatelos Development LLC — wants to build "sustainable" market rate and low-income housing that blend into one another, interspersed with 34,000 square feet of open-space terraces and courtyards. The plan would incorporate such things as photovoltaic roof canopies and healthy building materials.

The team is excited about integrating new housing and existing historical properties, including the Bel-Vue Apartments, to create "more of a neighborhood," said Brad Wiblin, vice president of Bridge Housing.

"We're in a situation which really calls for a change in dynamics on the ground," he added.

Following models that have worked in San Diego and Old Pasadena, Taylor's group — which includes Z Gallerie owner Joe Zeiden — wants to start with retail and finish construction within two years, constructing a mixed-use project that is needed in this economy while allowing room for future growth.

Zeiden helped revive Old Pasadena by building one of his stores there, before there was housing. That started the district's redevelopment, said Zieiden. He now plans to move his store out of Westfield Downtown Plaza and onto the 700 block of K Street in an effort to kick-start a similar revival in Sacramento.

"I've been doing this for 30 years now. I've seen what works. I've seen what doesn't," he said. "I think the street has amazing potential."

D&S Development, Inc., and CFY Development Inc. — led by Cyrus Youssefi — want to reduce the size of 160-foot-deep retail spaces on the 700 block of K Street and use the 66-foot-deep leftover space to create alley-fronting housing and a garage.

They envision a flower shop, restaurants and sidewalk cafes and vendors' sidewalk kiosks in a block of mainly restored historic storefront. They also plan to restore the mural on the original Tower Records storefront and commission other murals from local artists. The goal is to draw retail energy out of storefronts and create the kind of vitality found on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade or Berkeley's Fourth Street, said architect Bob Kuchman.

"We're really trying to reinvigorate the street and create a real energy out here," he said.

The city will hold development team interviews March 25 at a time and location not yet disclosed. The Sacramento City Council is expected to choose a development team by mid-May. For more information about the proposals, click on this link.

Mermaid bar work resumes

2010-02-13T03:12:53Z

K Street Mall is getting some activity after work began again on a mermaid bar and two other nightlife venues.

San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty originally hoped to open Dive Bar, a dance club named District 30 and a gourmet pizza restaurant, Pizza Rock, near 10th and K streets by late 2009. The $6 million-plus project was delayed at least in part by opposition, including a lawsuit to stop it that was thrown out of court last summer.

Saying he wanted to move forward, Karpaty declined to discuss the reasons the project on the blighted mall was thrown off schedule. But, he said, he now expects to open all three sites by late summer.

"We had some delays. But we're coming," he said.

Developers David Taylor and Los Angeles-based CIM Group have begun work on the shell and core of the building they now own at 1016, 1020 and 1022 K St. Crews are working to make the building structurally sound and to repair the roof, said Ellen Warner, a partner at David Taylor Interests.

"K Street still really needs a lot of revitalization," she said. "We think that's important for our community."

Late last year, the city's Redevelopment Agency transferred ownership of the building, which is divided into three suites, and one next door at 1012 K St. — and the land under both — to Taylor and CIM.

Fabricators in various studios are now building the giant aquarium that will hold "mermaids" of both genders, as well as other big pieces for Karpaty's new businesses.

"It's going to be far more over-the-top than people think," Karpaty said. "It's going to be insane."

Karpaty said he used his experience opening award-winning Ruby Skye and four other Bay Area nightclubs to create unique design elements for his newest project. Inside the gourmet pizza restaurant, Pizza Rock, a DJ will play music from a retro Mack truck that appears to be breaking through the ceiling 15 feet in the air.

And he said he expects Dive Bar's aquarium, which weighs 150,000 pounds without water, will be the biggest aquarium in a nightlife venue in the world — second only to tanks at museum-grade aquariums.

"I think this is the most creative project we've ever done. Period," Karpaty said. "It's revolutionary stuff."

The developers also have been talking with potential tenants for 1012 K St., but it's too early to discuss, Warner said.

A $5.7 million city subsidy for the properties still rankles some business owners. Karpaty stressed earlier this week that all the money did not go to his project or the building. City staff did not answer questions Friday seeking clarification.

A little more than $3 million is going toward shell and core improvements for both buildings, the one from 1016 to 1022 K Street and the one at 1012 K St. The remainder — more than $2 million — will go to future tenants of 1012 K St. for tenant improvements, Warner said.

The cost of tenant improvements for Karpaty's project are being shared by Taylor and Karpaty, she added. Karpaty said he's paid $2 million to date.

With city money being used to bring buildings up to code and ready to lease, the developers could have more money to help tenants pay for interior improvements specific to its new use.

The roughly 30,000-square foot building at 1012 K St. sits between Karpaty's future entertainment complex and The Cosmopolitan, which was opened without city subsidies in fall 2008 by longtime Sacramento restaurateur Randy Paragary and partners.

The property transfer was part of a 2008 Sheraton Hotel deal. The city agreed to split $50 million in profits from the sale of the $130 million hotel with Taylor and CIM for development in the J, K and L streets corridor.

Karpaty said he didn't want to divulge too much about the venues yet. But he did explain why he changed the dance club's name from Frisky Rhythm to District 30.

"I love the name Frisky Rhythm. I picked it. I'm going to build a bar called Frisky Rhythm — just not here," he said. "It did not receive positive feedback from people I was meeting with in Sacramento. So being a good project developer, I listened. We made a change."

Karpaty said he plans to organize shows and dancing at other venues in Sacramento, including the Memorial Auditorium and the Sacramento Convention Center. He added that he plans to put on five to seven grand-opening events for his K Street venues, with entertainment including stilt performers and contortionists.

"We're going to put on a big show," he said.

Suzanne Hurt covers business and development for The Sacramento Press.

Downtown group creates economic development strategy

2009-12-17T03:31:20Z

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership on Wednesday identified its primary strategy to help drive downtown's economic development for 2010 and beyond.

The business group's board also voted to accept a study of the J-K-L corridor prepared by Downtown Works, a Washington, D.C. retail consultancy firm.

The full and final report was presented at the partnership's annual meeting, held Wednesday morning at the Citizen Hotel.

Within the next month or so, the business group will identify the "core" three to five strategies out of nearly 30 that were approved for 2010 through 2012.

"Probably the most important element that has come out of the study is to restate a concept that has long been considered an important element by the partnership, and that is to focus our efforts in order to maximize their impacts," said Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, in a prepared statement.

Long-term goals include improving people's ability to walk, bike, drive or take public transit throughout downtown and to reconnect the central city grid, with two-way traffic on K Street from Old Sacramento to Midtown, according to a strategy report.

The group's strategy would be to support the identification and improvement of important pedestrian corridors and to support two-way car traffic starting with at least four blocks on K Street Mall and whenever other opportunities present themselves.

K Street is currently closed to traffic or no longer exists in several places, including through the middle of Westfield Downtown Plaza and the Sacramento Convention Center.

Another strategy is to collaborate on the vision and schedule to develop critical downtown assets, including the Downtown Plaza, city-owned parcels in the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street, relocation and replacement of the Greyhound Bus terminal and a downtown sports and entertainment arena.

The partnership wants to encourage "more balanced" housing options to include units that would fit a range of budgets, rather than a majority of single-residency occupancy units as currently exists.

The strategy would include collaborating with the city to improve the process for putting housing in vacant or under-used upper floors of existing buildings.

The group proposes finding funding partners and working with the city to develop a retail recruitment program, which would involve hiring a retail recruiter and developing incentives such as loans and façade grants to bring new retailers to the target area, the J-K-L corridor.

The group also proposes initiating a study of downtown infrastructure including water, sewer, electrical and cable; a new focus on Old Sacramento; maintaining K Street streetscape improvements as a priority and other strategies.

"Given the findings, downtown offers a significant opportunity to the city to invest in enhancing our urban center, which will offer consumers a unique experience not rivaled by other jurisdictions in the region and ultimately bring more revenue to the general fund through increased sales," Ault said.

8th and K hotel plan dropped

2009-12-09T06:53:53Z

Developer Bob Leach withdrew his proposal Tuesday to build a hotel on K Street Mall after financing — including public bond financing from the city — fell through.

The city of Sacramento's Redevelopment Agency now must go back to the drawing board by requesting other proposals for the property at 8th and K streets, as well as adjacent property in the 800 block of L Street.

"He pulled the plug," Sacramento City Councilmember Kevin McCarty said following Tuesday's City Council meeting.

The developers were asking the city to contribute more than $18 million in land and nearly $15 million in tax rebates toward the project.

"The city is not in a position to bond to provide permanent financing for the hotel," according to a city staff report. The item was withdrawn from the council agenda without discussion.

In 2008, the Redevelopment Agency had entered into exclusive right-to-negotiate agreements with USA Hospitality Inc., as part of a settlement with developer Moe Mohanna and other primary owners of the 700 and 800 blocks of K Street.

Development partners Bob Leach of USA Hospitality Inc. and Parkcrest Development, along with equity partner Mohanna, initially proposed building a 400-room Marriott Renaissance hotel at the southeast corner of 8th and K streets and a mixed-use project dominated by a 372-space garage on the adjacent northwest corner of 8th and L streets. The historic Bel-Vue Apartments, a city landmark built in 1910, is one of the buildings occupying that corner.

On Nov. 20, USA Hospitality submitted a new proposal to build a 300-room hotel, an adjacent 350-space garage and 100 condos above the garage in a second phase.

The developers had until Nov. 23 to get "stronger" financial commitments from lenders and investors; determine the cost to preserve the facade of the Bel-Vue; and complete business negotiations so those can be included in the development agreement. Those requirements were not met, according to the city staff report.

The South Korean company Consus Asset Management recently indicated it was willing to make a $91 million investment commitment as long as the developers got a loan from a bank that met Consus' requirements or the city agreed to provide the financing through municipal bonds. However, the developers weren't able to arrange such financing.

Leach, who built Le Rivage Hotel on the Sacramento River waterfront, submitted a letter withdrawing the project shortly before the City Council was to consider the agency's request to move forward and consider other proposals, confirmed City Councilmember Sandy Sheedy.

The city will be seeking qualified potential developers by Feb. 12.

Photos by Suzanne Hurt, a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Report: J-K-L focus must be residents

2009-11-19T05:44:13Z

If you build it, they will come.

What's been said about baseball diamonds in Iowa is now being said for downtown Sacramento's future retail market, according to a retail consultancy firm that has just finished a study of the J-K-L corridor.

In this case, "they" represent 72 percent of the greater Sacramento area's 1.65 million population: "urban chic" Sacramentans who own homes in the central city; young, child-free metrorenters; "in style" suburbanites who love the gritty city; long-time residents and new homeowners living just outside the core; and connoisseurs who want the best of everything, said Scott Schuler with Downtown Works of Washington, D.C.

"You have got to draw people from the entire market. The number of people downtown is not enough," Schuler said Wednesday when the firm presented a draft report to the Downtown Sacramento Partnership board, Mayor Kevin Johnson and city employees. The figure is based on demographic and lifestyle data other companies have produced for Sacramento.

The news that Sacramento's historic retail core could thrive once more by catering to residents throughout the region was a surprise to those who have long thought the area should be developed to attract travelers and the most wealthy residents.

"That is enough to support downtown if we have the right kind of market," said DSP Chair Kipp Blewett. "The future of downtown is going to be in the renaissance of the urban core."

While visitors remain important to the economy, they spend much more on food and beverages than retail. In addition, visitors want to experience the real city, Schuler said.

"They want to go where residents go," he said. "You don't market to them."

The city has focused strongly on bringing more nightlife and entertainment to K Street Mall. But the area needs at least as many, and possibly more, day-time uses, said Midge McCauley, also with Downtown Works, which prepared the report for the DSP and the city.

Downtown Works studied groundfloor spaces on J, K and L streets between 7th and 12th streets, and on the sidestreets of 9th to 11th streets in that area. About 18,000 people live downtown in 700 single-residency occupancy hotels and 220 market-rate housing units. The area includes 700 single-residency occupancy units and 220 market-rate housing units. About 18,000 people are estimated to live within a one-mile radius of 9th and J streets — a number the consultants pointed out as too low to support retail in the J-K-L corridor. About 93,000 people work downtown, she said.

Out of 231 total spaces, 57, or 25 percent, are vacant. Many current storefronts are "shabby" and "dated." Sandwich board signs and dead plants, replaced with new landscaping only recently, pull the area down, McCauley said. Obstructed sight lines are another problem, said McCauley, who recommended removing ticket vending machines and ramps

Only 10 percent of the 174 that are occupied are dedicated to selling retail goods. And out of 103 retail spaces that house restaurants, clubs or shops selling goods, Downtown Works identified only 12 percent as desirable enough to keep, she said.

Quality retailers have unique, attractive storefronts with distinctive, eye-level signs and appealing window displays, good merchandise that is well organized and a clean, well-maintained store.

The proposed solution: hire a "retail recruiter" whose job is to find urban pioneers — innovative retail entrepreneurs from near and far willing to open up shop in the city's risky downtown retail corridor. Arm the recruiter with the latest data on available property and financial incentives to lure retailers who agree with the vision to revitalize the area, McCauley said.

Undesirable tenants could be phased out as their contracts come up. The retail mix needs much more variety, such as apparel, outdoor goods, shoes, accessories and home furnishings. The mix should be unique — not something already offered in shopping malls. Independent stores should be focused on first, and chains that aren't overly represented in the market should be considered later, she said.

They recommend allowing cars on the entire K Street Mall, rather than a one- or two-block pilot which people are unlikely to use. The firm also recommends lower-level planters over trees, which they said block sight lines, tear up sidewalks and obstruct signs.

"People love their trees but trees are a retailer's nightmare," McCauley said.

Programs could be developed to offer facade grants and forgiveable loans for businesses that remain for at least five years, with 20 percent of the loans forgiven each year. Downtown Works recommended the first three to five pioneers get loans of $300,000 to $500,000. Other new businesses that fit the vision might get $20,000 to $100,000, McCauley said.

"We know those early deals are often the hardest ones to make," said McCauley, adding that the first deal would take a year to a year and a half if a recruiter began work today.

The DSP board members now must agree on whether to support the recommendations and then vote on formal adoption in December. Blewett said it was too early to discuss funding sources for such programs. However, if the city were to provide $1 to $2 million from the general fund, that could generate much more tax revenue for the city, he said.

Blewett pointed to Sean Kohmescher, who owns Temple coffee and teahouse on 10th Street, as the type of urban pioneer the corridor needs more of.

"He's young. He's entrepreneurial. He's committed to downtown," Blewett said. "Look what he did with a lot of elbow grease and some guts."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial department corrected a fact in the above article after the article was published. The original sentence is denoted with strike-through text, with the new sentence proceeding it.

Plaza change key to downtown's future

2009-10-14T03:49:55Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson has put it to the owners of the troubled Westfield Downtown Plaza: Either you're in or you're out.

The company, Westfield Group, has only another month or so to tell the city whether it will invest in its downtown Sacramento mall the way it's investing in Westfield Galleria at Roseville, Johnson told Westfield representatives and downtown business owners Monday.

"If not, we need you to not hold our city hostage anymore. We need you to sell and let the city move forward," he said. "In November or so, we need you to realize if you're in, you're in. If you're not, you're not."

For at least 11 years, the city has been negotiating over Downtown Plaza with Westfield, perhaps the world's largest shopping mall owner with more than $47 billion in investments in 119 shopping centers. In 2006, Westfield proposed a $120 million overhaul of Downtown Plaza. In May, the company postponed those plans for at least the rest of the year, while completing its $120 million reinvestment at Westfield Santa Anita in Southern California's Arcadia.

The mayor has been pressing Westfield for investment since at least August, when the company also backed out of a planned $200 million renovation of North County Mall in Escondido.

In a meeting at Cosmopolitan Cabaret Monday, Johnson said he and other city leaders are currently engaged in meetings with Westfield Group to determine whether they can make the current partnership work, or whether Westfield should sell the mall to the city or developers from Sacramento or beyond.

The mayor delivered the ultimatum during the first of two community meetings dubbed "Unlocking the Grid" that he's holding as the city works on a new strategy for K Street Mall and the downtown core. More than 100 business and property owners and others took part in the first meeting. Next Monday, Johnson plans to meet with people who live, work or visit downtown at 5:30 p.m. at the cabaret, 10th and K streets.

At the meeting's start, Johnson took a look back at decisions made in the last 50 years that cut off key streets and areas like Old Sacramento and the Sacramento River: the widening of Capitol Mall in the 1950s, the construction of I-5 and removing cars from K Street in the 1960s, construction of the suburban-style Downtown Plaza and Sacramento Convention Center in the 1970s, light rail construction in the 1980s, and tripling the size of the convention center in the 1990s.

Johnson encouraged participants to consider all of the city's assets while coming up with big-picture ideas to improve downtown and reconnect all its parts. Every decision impacts what the city will become, he said.

"We have to create an environment where all boats are rising," he said. "I don't want us to fall into doing the easiest thing to do."

Problems with safety and cleanliness were at the forefront for many. K Street Mall is plagued with "bums, lunatics, thugs and drug dealers," and the city should have a "visible police presence" on K Street until 2 a.m., said Gene Barton, who owns Marilyn's nightclub, 908 K St.

"No one's patrolling alleys. No one's down there after dark," he said.

Hannah Brantingham, the 27-year-old operations manager for 24 Hour Fitness on Seventh Street, said she didn't feel safe walking three blocks down K Street Mall to the afternoon meeting. She's concerned about the safety of employees who walk from a dirty yet expensive parking garage and about cars being stolen or burglarized there.

Another participant asked whether the city would relocate "SRO" hotels, cheap hotels providing single room occupancy on and around the mall.

The SROs have been a problem for "too long," said Johnson, who added, without going into specifics, that he's committed to not having SROs be an impediment to Westfield or other business owners.

The city should focus first on building a mass transit system to carry more people downtown, which would encourage development, said developer David Taylor.

Light rail to Davis could make it easier for UC Davis's 30,000 students to party, shop or eat downtown, said Steve Ayers, a developer and local steel company executive.

Plenty of talk revolved around how to bring more business, housing and spenders downtown. Some people suggested downtown — via retailers and restaurants — must stay open later to increase safety and make the area a more desirable place to be.

Sean Kohmescher said he keeps his Temple coffee and teahouse at 1014 10th St. open until 11 p.m., even though he loses money doing so, because that supports the kind of city he wants to live in. He suggested more business owners "take it upon themselves to create that."

While some were focused on bringing more "high-end" boutiques, restaurants and housing downtown, Kohmescher and others said the key is to have businesses that students and residents with middle-class or fixed incomes will use regularly.

Midtown works better than downtown because it has "mid-level" options, said Brook Taylor, a young professional who works in the Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

The city should focus on serving the needs of "folks in the middle" who provide a steady stream of business to the city, he said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor to host K St. meetings

2009-10-07T04:38:40Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson on Tuesday announced two community meetings to exchange ideas on reviving K Street Mall and Westfield Downtown Plaza, shortly before an independent analysis comes out.

The mayor will meet with business and property owners next Monday, and then with the rest of the public on Oct. 19, as a way to involve the community in the ongoing effort to develop a new strategy for K Street and the rest of the J-K-L corridor, the core of downtown.

"We want to create a new vision," Johnson said in his weekly press conference inside city hall. “We need to re-imagine what downtown looks like.”

The issue has vexed other mayors and city councils. The meetings will be the first such community meetings held by Johnson.

Last spring, the city's Economic Development Department and Downtown Sacramento Partnership hired a Washington, D.C. firm to evaluate K Street Mall's existing retail environment and propose an immediate action plan, after taking into account new realities in the retail industry and the current state of the capital market, said DSP Executive Director Michael Ault.

Midge McCauley and other retail consultants from the firm Downtown Works will present their recommendations to the DSP board next month. Their work cost $80,000, said Johnson's spokesman Joaquin McPeek.

On Oct. 12, the mayor plans to meet with business and property owners, as well as the former owners of defunct businesses. The meeting will give stakeholders from J, K and L streets between Third and 16th streets a chance to share past challenges and current concerns, and give input on possible answers to the area's problems.

"The mayor believes that success cannot be attained unless the entire corridor is involved in the solution," McPeek said.

Johnson said he also wants to make sure they're appreciated.

"I want to thank them for staying and not bailing out on us," he said at the press conference.

At both meetings, the mayor will share his ideas for the area's future. He has engaged in talks with the Downtown Plaza's owner, Westfield Group, the world's largest retail property group, to find out by year's end if the company will invest more or sell its part of the shopping mall.

"I think it's clear the mayor is very focused on wanting to get some resolution on the future of Downtown Plaza," Ault said.

The plaza could face significant change, which could include reopening that section of K Street — as suggested last week during a panel discussion hosted by the Urban Design Alliance of Sacramento.

"I don't think it's surprising to anyone that that mall is in need of a pretty significant renovation or redevelopment," Ault said. "The current situation and status quo is not an option."

However, as the plaza's owner, Westfield Group has to be involved in moving forward, he added.

"This has got to be a team effort for all of us," Ault said.

The mayor will hold a public meeting on Oct. 19 for residents, visitors and people who work in the city. Location and time will be announced later, McPeek said.

"It's open to anyone who wants to come who has great ideas," he said.

Staff reporter Kathleen Haley contributed to this report. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Dialogue: K St. Mall

2009-10-02T04:16:45Z

Locals with dismal views of K Street Mall might take heart in the optimistic views shared during a Wednesday night panel.

Sacramento may not be a hard urban center like Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston or New York. But the answer to the problems plaguing K Street, from closed streets and empty storefronts to a struggling shopping mall and safety concerns, is not to try to replicate what large cities or the suburbs offer. Emphasizing Sacramento's distinct character is critical to revitalizing K Street and downtown, they said.

"This community has a soft-shoe quality. It's very unique, very friendly, very green," said Ken Kay, an urban designer who runs KenKay Associates in San Francisco. "The authenticity of this place is really the soul of what people want."

He was among the panelists who took part in September's Design Dialogue, "K Street: A Postcard into the Future" at the Crest Theatre, 1013 K St. At least 100 city residents, design professionals, developers, government employees, retailers and others turned out for the event sponsored by the Urban Design Alliance of Sacramento and Downtown Sacramento Partnership. The nearly two-hour question-and-answer session was moderated by Bob Chase, Sacramento County's chief building official.

Opening up K Street and improving links to the riverfront, Old Sacramento and the city's distinct neighborhoods are the hands that can administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the heart of downtown Sacramento, according to panelists discussing the future of K Street Wednesday night.

Ideas that were discussed include eliminating or reconfiguring Westfield Downtown Plaza; allowing cars and bikes back on the currently closed section of K Street; adding colorful old trolleys, creative lighting and more public art; ensuring the central city has good schools; and offering more culture and unique activities such as interactive venues that focus on art or technology.

Downtown needs to capitalize on its two major open spaces: the riverfront and Capitol Mall, Kay said. K Street's "flow" to the river and Old Sacramento, as well as the connectivity between other streets and neighborhoods, needs to be improved. That way, people can easily travel between the heart of K Street and the river, and from downtown to Sacramento's neighborhoods, which are "some of the best traditional neighborhoods in all of Northern California," he said.

"You have a pretty established street on K Street with a huge natural amenity — the river — at the end. You should monopolize on that," he said.

Downtown Plaza interrupts that flow, especially at night when it's closed. An indoor shopping mall like that is "outdated," Kay said.

The Downtown Plaza can't be considered successful, said Midge McCauley, a retail consultant with Downtown Works of Washington, D.C., who's currently preparing a study of K Street Mall for the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the city.

Cities across the country developed indoor shopping malls after those sprouted up in the suburbs. But now those suburban malls are trying to capture the feel of a city by going after a "faux urban" experience, McCauley said.

"Here's the good news: You've got the real thing," she said. "We just have to repopulate it with retailers. But that starts with local and regional retailers. National retailers are not pioneers. They're not going to be the first in."

However, the mix of retailers and the other businesses, activities and amenities must be unique to K Street, rather than copying the suburbs, which has been proven not to work, she added.

The city is working on returning cars — and bikes — to K Street Mall as "one tool" to help bring more potential shoppers to the mall, said John Long, a transportation engineer with DKS Associates of Sacramento.

City planners believe opening two blocks as a pilot project could be done more quickly and at lower cost than other improvements that are being considered to bring retailers back. Businesses want customers to be able to drive by to check out their stores and to be able to drop people off right in front, he said.

In addition, people who are concerned about safety issues on K Street Mall need to be able to drive there first. Allowing cars is seen as the way to get people to K Street who aren't going now — suburbanites who don't work downtown, Long said.

The panelists acknowledged downtown was successful when enough people lived there and that downtown residents are another key to restoring vibrancy. However, Sacramento is "light years" away from having enough downtown residents to "radiate success" there again, McCauley said.

"Any major city, it's still based on the retail culture, as well as the other urban amenities a downtown has to offer," she said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Street Interview

2009-08-20T03:11:56Z

The Sacramento Press provides an outlet for everyone in the community. We hit the street recently to get people's opinions about downtown's K Street Mall.

This week's question: What would it take to get you to shop, dine or drink regularly on K Street Mall?

Matt Gilliam, 34
Aspiring Filmmaker
Downtown Resident

"K Street, I don't go to that often at nighttime because there are unsavory-type people, scary people. There are more shops and things to do down there than there have been in the past, but it's still sketchy. I think they could put a police station there permanently, even a little kiosk-deal, so they're always there. I also think police on the light rail trains has something to do with it, because the light rail carries baddies to K Street."

Diane Sousa, 32
Analyst
Mather Resident

"At some point, K Street was exciting. But it's empty now. I guess a variety of dining options. Affordable is always attractive. I'm thinking more upscale, but affordable — something trendy and fun."

Robbie LaCasse, 25
State Worker/Bass Player for the [The] New Humans
Midtown Resident

"We have a rehearsal space down there. When I go down to the area, I just go to rehearse. I feel like if there was more going on down there or more things to do, I would spend more time down there. K Street is lacking attractions. At night, it's a little questionable. It needs more nighttime-foot traffic. There's no one down there at night.

Valinda Roberts, Declined to Give Age
Fiscal Manager
South Sacramento Resident

"When I worked down there, I did shop and eat there regularly. Now I'm working in Midtown. K Street — they do have two or three blocks there that are a little seedy, in which you do feel a little uncomfortable. One thing I noticed when I stayed to go to a movie at IMAX: A lot of the restaurants on that end were closed. It was a Thursday. It was pretty much dead. I could only find a Blimpie's or a Subway; that's all that was open."

Jeff Farley, 28
Art Foundry Artist/Welder
McKinley Park Resident

"I like to eat more organic foods, so: organic restaurants. Better-quality restaurants. I guess if they had more things to see, more artistic venues."

Debbie Tellez, 40
Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Employee
Elk Grove Resident

"I haven't been over there in a long time. I used to go all the time. I think there are too many kids — young kids running around. They need to open up more shops, maybe not have so many young children hanging around. There are no shops, so you know it's like their little hangout. Maybe have more variety of fast food. When I went recently, it just looked like a little ghost town."

John Harris, 55
State Controller's Office Budget Analyst
Antelope Resident

"I'm interested in smooth jazz. If they had that type of venue, with meals — something like that would be pretty nice. They probably need a few more eating spots. As far as clothing, they don't have enough for middle-aged people. They have more clothing stores for young people. They need something to pull in the middle-aged crowd."

We welcome your suggestions for future "Street Interview" questions. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at suzanne@sacramentopress.com or 804-2856.

K Street Mall update

2009-08-19T03:31:56Z

K Street Mall has seen some movement this month with restaurants reopening renovation continuing and a legal challenge dismissed. Big changes may still be in the works.

Two restaurants -- Three Monkeys and the Crepe Cafe -- have reopened in their old spots. Work continues on the renovation of St. Rose of Lima Park and relocation of the adjacent light rail station.

In addition, a judge dismissed a lawsuit contesting development of a mermaid bar and two other nightlife venues in the 1000 block of K Street. Following the suit's dismissal, San Francisco nightclub operator George Karpaty said he expects his proposed businesses would help change the city's nightlife landscape.

For some time, there has been talk of reviving K Street Mall and the downtown business district by introducing more nightlife. Karpaty said the businesses he plans to open in the 1000 block would help draw more people downtown at night, rather than suck customers away from existing bars or restaurants as the owners of those businesses have feared.

"We don't look at it as competition. We look at it as co-opetition," he said Tuesday. "We believe it will be good for all the other restaurants and clubs."

Former Sacramento City Councilman Josh Pane filed a lawsuit last spring to try to stop development of Karpaty's proposed projects in the space occupying 1016-1022 K St. next to The Cosmopolitan, which opened less than a year ago featuring Social nightclub. Another "ultra-lounge," known as Cabana, operates at 1200 K St. Longtime Sacramento restaurateur Randy Paragary is part owner of both nightclubs.

Pane, along with nearby restaurant[-] and club[-]owners and some residents criticized the city for giving $5.7 million in subsidies to the project developers, David S. Taylor Interests and CIM.

On Aug. 7, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly threw out Pane's legal challenge. The judge chose not to review the merits of the case after Pane failed to "exhaust" administrative review by appearing before the City Council or at least filing a letter with that body, said Pane, who will not pursue the case.

The lawsuit hasn't impacted the pace of the development, said Karpaty, who owns Inner Circle Entertainment.

The venues were initially said to be opening by year's end. However, Karpaty didn't want to put a timeline on construction Tuesday. His staff is still working on special permit applications to get the exterior design approved and to operate the nightclubs and an outdoor patio. The city had expected those applications by the end of July.

Karpaty is well-known for creating unique, high-end nightclubs in San Francisco. Ruby Skye won Club World's "Best Club" award at last year's Winter Music Conference held in South Beach, Miami. Slide, a former speakeasy turned boutique lounge, was just featured on the Entertainment Channel as one of the most extreme bars in the world -- entered only by slipping down a slide, paying homage to its speakeasy days.

In Sacramento, Karpaty plans to operate three venues whose interiors he described as "over-the-top spectacular": Pizza Rock, a 5,600-square-foot gourmet pizza restaurant with an outdoor patio; Dive Bar, a 3,050-square-foot bar featuring a giant aquarium and human mermaids or mermen making surprise appearances; and a 4,300-square-foot, over-30 dance club whose name has been changed from Frisky Rhythm to District 30.

Karpaty and his staff have been working with the city to get approval on exteriors for three facades, which are all contained in one building. They're fine-tuning ideas for such things as exterior colors, the rock facade to be used on Pizza Rock and preservation of a vintage billboard. The plan is to tie them to the area's existing look.

"We definitely want to give them three unique exterior and interior looks, because all three concepts are different from the other," he said. "We're looking to create some unique venues that don't look like they overly stand out, but don't look like they belong in the suburbs."

Covered with rustic brick, Dive Bar will look like it's been there 40 years, he said. Pizza Rock will look the most similar to the current downtown style. And District 30 will be more contemporary urban.

Pizza Rock's interior will be high-end industrial. World pizza-throwing champ Tony Gemignani is a partner at the restaurant. He's appeared on "Oprah," "The Late Show with David Letterman" and other shows. The Castro Valley resident will train the staff to juggle dough, while bartenders will juggle bottles and glasses.

While Karpaty said he respects Sacramento's established, high-end restaurants and clubs, he expects his businesses will "change the landscape of nightlife" in this city by offering something new.

"We're going to bring big things to Sacramento," he said. "That I can promise you."

Editor's Note: The Sacramento Press editorial team corrected errors in this story after it was published.

First 3rd Saturday Downtown Sac

2009-07-19T17:17:01Z

Sacramento's first 3rd Saturday took off July 18 along the K Street Mall and Casear Chavez Plaza. Over 40 local arts, crafts and fashion vendors and musicians descended upon K Street. The Guac and Roll festival featured Sacramento’s very own Method Echo with opener Tainted Love.

15 Restaurants offered sampling & selling of Sacramento’s best foods featuring guacamole and avocados. There was a Xochimilco Beer & Margarita Garden, rock wall and a free kids area with inflatable games, slides, jump houses, Basketball Shoot Out and water games.

MethodEcho band member Josh Guerrero sings

to the crowd at Casear Chavez Plaza just a few

blocks away from the first 3rd Saturday event

along K Street.

Angelo Chacon climbs the rock wall at Casear Chavez

Plaza.

Michael Cross, Education Manager at the Kitchen Academy,

did cooking demonstrations featuring the avocado.

Musical Chairs performed on the main stage near the intersection of K St. and 10th.

Ashleah Millers paints a glitter tattoo on Everett Bass's left forearm at the Transformations Make up vendor

booth along K St.

Photos | Kati Garner

K Street's mojo rising

2009-07-17T02:51:54Z

Despite temperatures that soared past 100 degrees, construction crews worked hard this week to help K Street get its groove back.

Sacramento Regional Transit supervisors have been on-site daily to inspect, while crews selected by general contractor Otto Construction dug trenches and laid electrical conduit for a new light rail stop and handicapped-accessible "mini-high" platform on Seventh Street.

The roughly $4.5 million first phase of the K Street makeover includes a facelift for St. Rose of Lima Park, a light rail platform relocation and a streetscape renovation for the 700 block of K Street Mall. The city and Sacramento Regional Transit are partnering on the project. The long-term goal is to renovate K Street up to 12th Street.

City officials want to cultivate the mall's aesthetics and ambiance. They also want to more easily connect the area's struggling retail mall, Westfield Downtown Plaza, with the convention center and points in between.

"The streetscape is kind of the first step in revitalizing K Street," said Denise Malvetti, a city senior project manager who is overseeing the first phase project. "We're trying to enhance the pedestrian experience. We're hoping to make it look more inviting and pleasant."

Portland-based Walker Macy is the design firm on the project. Most of the funding for the first phase comes from tax increment financing, which uses expected future increases in tax revenue to fund current projects. Park funds are also being used, she said.

Since starting work on the project in early May, crews have excavated St. Rose of Lima Park and built trenches for electrical and irrigation equipment there. They've also poured new curbs and gutters on Seventh Street.

On the south side of K Street, they've opened hollow sidewalks that reach down to the city's original ground level. The streets of Sacramento flooded so much in the 1800s that many streets of the old city's downtown were eventually raised as much as 12 feet. Crews are now cleaning and shoring up the hollow sidewalks, said Malvetti.

Crews also have removed concrete and done excavating work in St. Rose of Lima Park, which was named for the first person in the Americas to be designated a saint by the Catholic church.

The park's layout will remain the same. The centerpiece will be a new water feature for people to play in during scorching Sacramento summers or just relax near during lunch. In the winter, the interactive, in-ground fountain will be covered by the ice skating rink. A new restaurant with outdoor dining is expected to replace Three Monkeys on the east side of the park.

Next week, a new underground vault for the park is expected to arrive. Otto Construction is expected to continue excavation to install the vault, which will store fountain equipment. These and other improvements are hoped to make the park -- and the mall -- more of a "destination" for residents, downtown workers and visitors, Malvetti said.

Recently, city officials and developers also have been talking about another idea to bring more people to K Street Mall: reopening the mall to cars.

The St. Rose of Lima light rail stop and handicapped-accessible platform ramp will be moved from the 700 block of K Street to Seventh Street to open up that section of K Street, making it easier to walk there and creating more of a plaza feel. The existing stop/platform will continue to operate until the new one opens.

The streetscape will be upgraded with more trees, greenery and flowerpots; matching black "street furniture" including benches, light posts, bike posts and trash containers; colored concrete paving stones or pavers. Any unhealthy trees may be removed and tree beds will be enlarged to hold landscaping.

The park is expected to be finished in November in time for the holidays. Construction on the south side of K Street will continue into December, said Malvetti.

City officials and staff are currently seeking funds to renovate other sections of the mall. No other phases are funded or planned yet. This first phase is expected to be the most expensive due to the park rehab and light rail relocation, she said.

"We're really excited to have Seventh Street under construction," Malvetti said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at suzanne@sacramentopress.com or by calling 916-804-2856.

Street Interview

2009-07-16T03:24:44Z

The Sacramento Press is about providing an outlet for everyone in the community. We hit the street recently to get people's opinions about downtown's K Street Mall, which was created in 1969 when vehicles were banned from 7th to 13th streets.

This week's question: Should vehicles be allowed back on K Street Mall?

Satapana Buthken, 23
California Air Resources Board Student Assistant
Graduate of California State University, Sacramento,
North Highlands

"I frequent K Street Mall a lot. I don't think it should be opened to vehicle traffic. That section with light rail and pedestrians only -- it feels nice. Just to be able to walk around with no car traffic. It feels like a little sanctuary."

Lanette Gardner, 29
Heald College Student
Sacramento

"They should. It'll make it easier for cars and tourists coming from outside Sacramento to find a parking space. They'd want to come down here. It just looks like a mess with all the construction. It looks like they just partly did it and left it there. I used to come down here when I was younger. But I just stopped. It doesn't look like downtown. I saw a picture of it from the late 1800s or early 1900s. It looked wonderful -- like Seattle. Now it just looks like they let it go."

Charlene Syravong, 44
State Worker
Sacramento County

"I don't think that's a good idea. It's not safe. Driving traffic might not be such a good idea for safety concerns for the general public -- everyone that uses the area. Before someone decides to open it, please do a study. By opening it to driving traffic, I'm not sure if it will bring in more business or drive business out. If you make it more attractive, that will bring in more foot traffic. I don't want to discourage anything. Just do it carefully."

Andre Algazi, 45
California Department of Toxic Substances Control
Tahoe Park

"I think it's a good idea. It's basically a wasteland between 7th, 8th and 9th. I've always thought Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica was successful and could be a model for our K Street Mall. Partly, it's just a different town with different demographics, but partly, the city (of Sacramento) doesn't let music performers play at random. On Third Street Promenade, the Red Elvises would play; it's this cool, Russian rockabilly band. There's just people doing entertaining things. Really, there needs to be a critical mass of people and activity (on K Street). Just opening it to traffic isn't going to be enough. It'll just be vehicles on a deserted street. People are going to have to invest."

Leticia Beltran, 45
Social Services Worker
North Sacramento Suburb

"I think whoever's planning the idea should try riding the light rail and walking around downtown -- in the daytime, so they can get a feel for the foot traffic and light rail. If you work down here and you're trying to get to the light rail, it's already busy."

Peter Cooper, 43
Green Job Researcher for Trade Unions
West Sacramento

"The city needs to take significant steps to make it pedestrian-friendly and bring foot traffic back. Obviously, the pedestrian zone hasn't worked. So opening up two blocks is a good first step in figuring out how to make downtown more livable. I hope they fix things because it's been an eyesore for so long."

We welcome your suggestions for future "Street Interview" questions. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at suzanne@sacramentopress.com or 916-804-2856.

Crest restoration marks 60 years

2009-07-14T02:46:38Z

Standing inside YESCO sign company's Natomas warehouse, Jinbo Xia heated a four-foot long glass tube in an open flame called a ribbon fire. He kept the empty tube from imploding by blowing air through a thin hose running from his mouth to one end of the tube.

Xia gently rushed the tube to a work table and began bending the material before the glass cooled. Working with both hands and mouth, he used a disappearing craft to form the "C" in the Crest Theatre's landmark neon sign. He later added electrodes and "bombarded" or filled the letter with red neon gas that would turn the powder-coated glass tube pink.

The 39-year-old learned the art of making neon light units from his father, who owned a neon sign shop in their village of Jishi, China. Xia's father had learned the skill from early neon light makers in Shanghai. Xia came to this country to use that skill.

Today, many sign companies have begun offering more and more LED signs, which are cheaper and more energy efficient than neon. Few people still making neon lights in Sacramento can match Xia's knowledge and talent.

"I've been doing this for 23 years and he's one of the best I've ever seen," said Sean Ward, the company's service sales representative on the project, as he watched Xia work. "If it's done right, this tube can last for 50 years. If it's done wrong, it won't last a week.

Making and rebuilding neon signs is YESCO's expertise. The founder of the Salt Lake City-based company changed the face of Las Vegas after bringing neon to this country from the World's Fair in France. YESCO is believed to be the largest privately owned sign company in the world, said YESCO Division Service Manager Mark Ager.

The company was chosen to restore the art deco sign as part of a $360,000 renovation to be completed shortly before the Crest celebrates its 60th anniversary in October.

Inside, worn-out seats will be repaired and curtains at the main entrance will be replaced. A boiler that's been heating the main theater since Crest opened Oct. 6, 1949, will be replaced with a more efficient heater, said the theater's Office Manager Laura Coulter.

The Crest site's importance to Sacramento's theater culture dates back before the opening of the theater. The Empress Theatre offered live vaudeville with seating for about 1,800 after opening at the site at 1013 K St. in 1913, said Gerry (pronounced "Gary") Watt, the Crest's projectionist and technician and a former Tower Theatre manager.

The Hippodrome, which replaced the Empress, brought popular vaudeville performers to the city before converting into a movie theater in the late 1920s. The aging Hippodrome's marquee fell off the building and killed someone on the ground in the late 1940s. The Hippodrome was gutted and the Crest built within its walls.

Once, K Street Mall was a movie-house mecca filled with huge, independent theaters. The Crest is one of the few Sacramento movie palaces that survived being demolished or divided up into mini-theaters in the 1970s, Watt said.

"It's a very vibrant, vital part of the Sacramento arts scene," he said. "A lot of the theaters I loved as a kid are gone or converted into other spaces. A lot of cities don't even have theaters intact from that era. So we're very lucky."

The Crest's sign was first restored in 1992 as part of a $1 million theater renovation. The current marquee restoration is expected to cost about $213,000 and be completed by mid-August. For more than a month, Xia, Ward, Ager and five other YESCO staffers have been working to restore the roughly 90-foot "colossal marquee" as close to the original as possible.

Some in the city weren't ready for that in 1992. At that time, the marquee's and sign's colors were changed to primarily pastels, Ward said. This time, the blade sign made of sturdy Midwestern steel will be returned to its original bright colors.

Workers pulled down all the existing neon. A total of 42 broken or burned-out units will be repaired or replaced by Xia. The blade -- consisting of sections known as the tower, the leaves and the candy cane -- was sanded and prepped. The blade is being repainted, and work on the marquee with its reader board is following.

Working from the top down, crews have already started reattaching the neon lights that were in good shape. YESCO workers have appreciated working on the landmark, Ager said.

"That sign is an icon for downtown. We're taking a piece of Sacramento history and restoring it to like-new," he said. "Once we restore it, that sign will probably outlast me."

Sac to get "3rd Saturdays"

2009-07-13T03:05:59Z

So -- you like Second Saturdays?

Do you like the way this local arts night has morphed into a street fair? Have you watched the event grow so big that you've hoped it could take over the central city more than once a month?

Your prayers may be answered this month when a new Saturday street fair debuts in Sacramento. Sponsored by Sacramento News & Review (SN&R), "Design Downtown" will bring mostly locally made or "do it yourself" (DIY) fashion and art to the K Street Mall from 3 to 9 p.m. every third Saturday starting July 18.

"We looked at the success of Second Saturday and said, 'Maybe that's something we can build on,' " said Clay Nutting, the sales and marketing manager for the paper. "We hope that it becomes a local, DIY kind of experience."

The weekly alternative paper is putting together "a creative block party" to bring more energy and business to the pedestrian mall, which is often nearly empty on weekends.

"No one's going to show up to see Sacramento News & Review," he said. "It's the vendors, it's the musicians, it's the businesses, it's the excitement of going out on a Saturday and doing something new."

SN&R has been working closely with the city and event partners -- the Hard Rock Cafe, as well as Cosmo Cafe and Social Nightclub, the former operated by Paragary Restaurant Group and the latter operated by Randy Paragary and Bob Simpson at The Cosmopolitan, 10th and K streets -- to get the event up and running in a short time. Beer makers Budweiser and Corona are event sponsors.

On Friday, SN&R staffers were still reaching out to other mall businesses to let them know about the event and how they can participate. Paragary Restaurant Group quickly became interested after canceling the Bloc Concert Series planned for last Saturdays at Marshall Park due to lack of profit. Few people went, especially to the June 27 concert that competed with other events that day, including SN&R's Music Fest and SAMMIES (Sacramento Area Music Awards) Ceremony.

In May, the concert series, Midfest Summer Celebration and Paragary Restaurant Group owner Randy Paragary came under fire from some Marshall Park residents and neighborhood groups. Residents expressed concern over impacts the events might have on the primarily residential neighborhood a few weeks after a Cinco de Mayo street party got out of hand outside Paragary's Centro Cocina Mexicana. Residents requested that the events be held downtown in a business district.

SN&R, a media sponsor for the concerts, was aware of the situation. But SN&R staff had already been planning the Third Saturday event, so its hasty launching isn't Paragary's attempt to meet residents' requests by moving the Bloc Concert to the mall, Nutting said.

"We looked at some of the concerns with events happening throughout town and thought that (K Street Mall) area might be more accepting of what we're looking to accomplish," Nutting said.

At the Seventh Street entrance to Westfield Downtown Plaza, the Hard Rock Cafe will hold a free, all-ages show featuring local teen bands on an inside stage from 3 to 6 p.m. Social will feature an after-party event with DJs. The main stage will be set up on 10th Street near the alley between K and J streets. Bands including The Kinetics, ZuhG and Musical Charis will play that stage after 5 p.m. Cosmo Cafe is extending its catering license to have a barbecue and beer garden.

Hard Rock Cafe staff think the event is "great," said Sales and Marketing Manager Kim Templeton.

"I think Sacramento has a lot of creative people, a lot of great artists, a lot of great musicians," she said. "I think K Street is a great area to bring some activity here."

The event will feature eclectic vendors selling fashion, jewelry, arts and crafts, while highlighting businesses on and around the mall. Some vacant storefronts plaguing the mall would ideally be used for art workshops, he said.

"Everybody knows K Street has had its ups and downs. (But) there are these really great high spots we want to accentuate," said Nutting.

At least 40 vendors are already on board to set up tables, booths and tents on the mall from Ninth to 11th streets and on 10th Street, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. Vendors range from local fashion designers and comic book artists to photographer Kenna Foster.

Nutting said he hopes street performers will get involved and he's encouraging other businesses to get musicians to play outside their storefronts. A jazz group is expected to play on a street corner.

By early Friday afternoon, the city's Parks and Recreation Department had awarded a conditional permit for the Design Downtown series. The official permit will be awarded as soon as SN&R gets insurance coverage for the event, said Recreation Superintendent Teresa Jackson, who oversees the department's special events office. A conditional permit allows an organizer to plan and advertise an event, she added.

A permit for the entire series will be awarded, rather than one for each date, because parks staff believe the mall will be a "good fit" for the event and crowd. Paragary Restaurant Group had to apply for a permit for each concert in the Bloc Concert Series so the city could evaluate whether Marshall Park could accommodate the crowd, Jackson said.

"With (K Street Mall) it's a much larger venue, so we don't have the same concerns with attendance," she said.

Off-duty Sacramento police officers have been hired to work the event. A sergeant will monitor the sound level, which will be established on the permit. The permit requires the beer garden to serve its last drink at 8:30 p.m. and the event to end at 9 p.m. No parking enforcement problems are anticipated.

SN&R also has worked with Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District engineers to safely lay out the street fair without impeding light rail trains, which will be running every 15 minutes in both directions. Vendors will back up to storefronts and must be at least 10 feet from the tracks. Pedestrians must stay behind yellow warning tiles running on both sides of the track.

"We want to make sure the trains operate as they should and we want to make sure everybody is safe. The trains regularly operate in a pedestrian environment," said Alane Masui, RT's assistant general manager of marketing and communications. She encouraged people attending Design Downtown to use light rail.

"Light rail is the perfect way to travel to the event. It'll take you right to the event," she added.

Paragary Restaurant Group did not return phone calls.

As the event grows, SN&R will work with more businesses to find "creative ways" to tie them into Design Downtown, Nutting said. The paper wants to help businesses that are "sticking it out" on the mall despite the blight and the recession, he said.

"It's very organic. What it evolves into -- I'm just as excited as anybody to find out," he said.

K Street Mall redevelopment continues

2009-06-25T03:28:29Z

Work is moving forward to bring a mermaid bar and other nightlife venues to troubled K Street Mall, while the city attempts to address a lawsuit over the development.

At the end of May, developers David Taylor and Los Angeles-based CIM Group finished the first stage of interior work for the controversial project to redevelop long-vacant buildings at 1012 K St. and 1016 - 1022 K St. Crews cleaned up contaminants including asbestos and lead and also took down some inside walls.

The developers are now working on construction drawings to gain approval to bring the shell and core up to code. They are expected to submit the drawings to the city in August to show how they plan to meet the city's seismic, electrical and plumbing requirements, said Beth Tincher, a senior project manager with the city's Economic Development Department.

San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty, the project's proposed tenant, is planning to operate two high-end nightclubs at 1016 - 1022 K St.: the 3,050-square-foot Dive Bar with a giant aquarium inhabited by live, human mermaids and a 4,300-square-foot over-30 dance club whose widely ridiculed name is proposed as Frisky Rhythm; and Pizza Rock, a 5,600-square-foot gourmet pizza restaurant with an outdoor patio. The structure last housed a Hit Or Miss clothing store.

By the end of July, Karpaty is expected to submit applications for special permits needed to operate the nightclubs and outdoor patio, as well as to get the exterior design approved, Tincher said.

The developers will later propose another project for the building at 1012 K St., previously a Rite Aid.

The city's Redevelopment Agency currently owns the land and will later transfer ownership to the developers. Tincher could not provide a dollar amount for the land's value.

"There's a negative value shown on the property because of the contaminants. It's not a site that most people would consider valuable," she said.

The Sacramento City Council came under fire in March for approving $5.7 million in subsidies for the project on the blighted mall. The funding includes $5.4 million for tenant and public improvements, and nearly $300,000 for abatement and interior demolition.

Former Sacramento City Councilman Josh Pane, nearby restaurant and club owners and some residents criticized the city for giving the money to David S. Taylor Interests and CIM. Pane sued the city and the developers in spring to try to stop the project. He contends that the city OK'd the development without a proper CEQA review.

Attorneys for the city and developers are holding ongoing meetings with Pane and his attorneys to try to resolve the issue.

"We feel very confident that everything was done absolutely 100 percent correctly," said Ellen Warner, a partner at David S. Taylor Interests.

Providing redevelopment funding had been part of the deal to sell Taylor the Sheraton Grand Sacramento for $130 million last year. The city agreed to split $50 million in profits from the sale with Taylor and CIM for development in the J, K and L Streets corridor, she said.

Other Sacramento Press stories on the subject can be found here and here.

Public hearings will be held after the special permits applications are submitted.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter at The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at 804-2856 or suzanne@sacramentopress.com.

Should We Close Sac's Parks? Open Up K St. to Cars?

2009-05-29T23:57:36Z

Should we close Sacramento's parks or slash services to them? How about opening up K Street to cars?

Those are the two latest questions I'm asking for your input in my online forums, being run in cooperation with Peak Democracy.

These forums are designed to foster civil discussion about issues facing me and the Council. But instead of attending a city council meeting, you can share your perspectives from your home or office without heading down to City Hall. And unlike newspaper (and this site's) comment sections, I'll read every comment and keep you updated on the issue as it progresses.

This week I'm asking two questions, one on parks and another on K Street. I'd welcome your views.

Question one: Sacramento is facing a record budget deficit. As part of the city manager's plan, the city's parks will be severely effected. Under the plan, weekly mowing will be cut back to once every two to three weeks; park trash cans will be emptied once or twice a week instead of daily; and all park restrooms will be closed except for special events. Rescue Sacramento Parks is a grassroots organization that has formed to fight these cuts. Should the I vote to support the City Manager's position on park cutbacks? If not, what other services do you suggest reducing that will result in similar budget savings? Share your views at: www.peakdemocracy.com/339

Question two: K Street Mall has been a pedestrian walkway and light rail route for many years. There are now calls to re-open it to traffic. What do you think? Should cars be allowed on the street in an effort to revitalize the area? Share your views at: http://www.capradio.org/news/specials/?opentownhall

Thank you for participating!

City Council meeting to determine fate of K Street redevelopment project

2009-03-10T07:57:24Z

Though it seems like an Onion story at first glance, downtown Sacramento's first ever mermaid tank may soon be constructed. Developers now await $8.6 million in funds from the City of Sacramento for the proposed construction of a pizza joint ("Pizza Rock"), a nightclub ("Frisky Rhythm") and a bar with a live mermaid tank ("Dive Bar").

Tuesday, the City Council will hear arguments supporting and opposing the project, brought about when the City of Sacramento sold its interests in the Sheraton Hotel to local developer David Taylor, of David Taylor Interests Inc., promising to set aside some of the proceeds for future David Taylor Interests construction projects like this one. Taylor was approached by San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty, who was interested in real estate in Sacramento and who owns the popular Union Square club, Ruby Skye, to work together on the three entertainment venues.

According to Ellen Warner, partner of David Taylor Interests, Inc., Karpaty has told them he's spent over 40 nights over the course of several months visiting establishments in Sacramento to see the types of venues already in place and determine what Sacramento may have a niche for.

The three proposed venues are independent ventures, not chains, and as a compromise to the opponents, each venue will have its own liquor license. According to the Report to the Redevelopment Agency and City Council of the City of Sacramento, Frisky Rhythm, whose name will most likely be changed, will cater to the 30 and over crowd, playing rock, rhythm and blues; Pizza Rock will feature pizza throwing by eight time world champion and chef Tony Gemignani; and Dive Bar will play vintage jazz and ratpack vocals.

From projects such as the US Bank Tower, City Hall, and the Cosmopolitan, David Taylor Interests has brought $325 million in private dollars to Sacramento over the past 25 years, Warner cites.

"Our only business is to promote Sacramento," Warner said, also adding that the project would create 100 jobs for the construction and another 100 jobs once the venues were open.

"We respectfully disagree with the idea that it's not possible to attract more people to downtown. It's an embarrassment for our city that [K Street] has been vacant" for so long, Warner added.

Michael Ault, executive director of the Dowtown Sacramento Partnership, cited in an email interview that a survey was conducted of 5,020 Sacramento-area residents to test whether or not a concentrated district of active urban entertainment would bring new customers. The survey found that 72 percent of respondents would indeed patronize Downtown more if there were more restaurants and entertainment venues to choose from and that 84 percent wanted to see more restaurant and entertainment venues Downtown.

Ault also added that “there are 761,213 people between the ages of 30 and 59 within thirty miles of downtown, making the potential customer base over 550,000 (there are an additional 271,105 between the ages of 20-29).”

Another concern that Ault addressed was the 100,000 downtown office workers who work near K street. He said that these workers “support all businesses downtown and as long as K Street remains blighted, we run the risk of reducing our existing customer base and there by hurting all businesses,” one such agency moved in 2007, as reported in Bob Shallit's column the Bee in 2007 when the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development moved from K Street to R Street because its employees were "fed up with crime and blight."

Business owners and those who live near the project's proposed location at 1016-1022 K Street are torn because in this economy they would like to see the seedy K Street area revitalized. The proposed construction might attract more people to the area, however many fear that it could put other downtown restaurants, clubs and bars out of business.

"It's an issue of timing. This time the economy is so bad, that [other businesses on K Street] worry that they're not going to make it," said Rob Kerth, executive director of the Midtown Business Association and former City Councilmember. He said that about 80 percent of local hospitality businesses are against the construction.

In fact, local business owner Mason Wong of Mason's Restaurant, Ma Jong's Asian Diner, and The Park Ultra Lounge has headed the project's opposition along with members of the Midtown Business Association. At the time of press, there were 355 signatures on the petition against the construction project. Sacramento residents, business owners and employees will protest the construction before the City Council meeting on Tuesday at 5 p.m. outside City Hall.

Matt Haines, owner of the Bistro 33 restaurants in Midtown and Downtown is also opposed to the project. "They've spent $25 million on one corner, 10th and K," he said.

"How is a pizza restaurant going to draw people from out of town? The city is becoming one of our competitors. We're battling day-to-day, it's very hard times. We've been adjusting hours and letting people go. I wish they'd take that money and put it in housing down there," Haines added.

"I don't think a bar, restaurant or nightclub is going to remake K Street; the goal needs to be housing," added Kerth.

According to Ellen Warner of David Taylor Interests, Inc., construction could begin as soon as April if the project is approved.

It should be a very packed house at the City Council meeting on Tuesday night.

A follow-up article will be written after the City Council meeting to report the results.

This article was written in collaboration by Jonathan Mendick and Colleen Belcher.

K Street Developments

2008-10-14T07:41:57Z

What can't one find at the K Street Mall? From The Crest to Esquire Grill and Cabana Club, boutiques and fresh-cut flowers, K Street's outdoor mall provides Downtown Sacramento with every necessity. Well, almost every necessity. Right now K Street Mall stands incomplete as nine properties between 7th and 9th Streets currently stand vacant. But hopefully not for long as the discord between the City of Sacramento and Moe Mohanna finally comes to an end.

On October 7, after two years of legal contention, the Sacramento City Council voted to end the eminent domain dispute with Mohanna, offering him a settlement of $18.6 million for his nine properties, located on blocks 700 and 800. With the decision's enforcement by the Sacramento Superior Court, the Housing and Redevelopment Agency can now assume ownership of the properties and make the changes needed to complete the K Street Mall.

However, Mohanna has not been cut out of K Street completely. He will be involved with the development of the 800 block as an associate of Bob Leach - as long as he and Leach agree to repurchase the properties for $150 per square foot. If they do so, Leach plans on building a 400-room hotel - he has already received a letter of intent from Hilton Hotels - with a mixed-use project facing L Street.

Block 700 is already slated to Joe Zeiden, owner of Z Gallerie Home Furnishings in Downtown Plaza. Zeiden plans to open a row of mixed-use retail tied to his Z Gallerie.

If Leach builds a hotel on K Street, it will only be within a three block distance from the new Citizen Hotel. Is it a wise decision to add another hotel, especially when there are already so many within so small a radius? What will building another hotel do to Sacramento's economy? How will this development help/hurt the neighboring Southside Park community?