The downtown 24 Hour Fitness location reopened Friday after a remodel that added approximately 31,000 square feet of floor space, a basketball court and new exercise machines. “(We have) brand-new cardio (machines), strength training machines and free weights,” said downtown Club Manager Ben Ragsac. He added that  full-size basketball court and expanded kids’ club have been added, and a raquetball court is coming, which will be open by October. The gym was closed from 8 p.m., June 17 until Friday at 6 a.m., when the second floor reopened. The full gym, including a lap pool, steam room, sauna, cycle room and other amenities will reopen around October, and more than 200 strength training

Will Westfield Downtown Plaza be put up for sale? According to the Wall Street Journal, Westfield is testing the market for a buyer for the mall, which has been plagued by empty storefronts. In August, when the mall underwent a remodel, General Manager Russell Dougherty said it was only 65 percent occupied. Westfield officials did not return phone calls for comment on their plans for the mall this week. “The Mayor remains committed to working with Westfield and finding ways to make the plaza a viable entity in Sacramento,” said Joaquin McPeek, press secretary for Mayor Kevin Johnson. “At the end of the day, this is such a critical piece of downtown and we’ve all got to work together to

Police ejected a flash mob of hundreds of choral singers tonight from the Roseville Galleria mall. The choral singers, many clad in their Christmas clothes, had been anticipating singing an “impromptu” rendition of the “Hallelujah Chorus” in the food court.  The performance was conceived of by the Sacramento Choral Society and over the last few weeks, word quickly spread via email, Twitter and good old-fashioned word of mouth. As the 7:30 performance time neared, dense traffic in the food court came to a near standstill while singers clutched their sheet music for the 4-minute song. When mall security was unable to redirect the crowd, the Fire Department closed the mall and ushered every

Rodney Stanhope is living in a shed at Arden Fair Mall, and he isn’t there to shop. The shed lacks running water or kitchen facilities, and he “showers” with baby wipes. His living space is just big enough for a cot, a couple of camp chairs and a small shelf for his computer. Stanhope, a Navy veteran and small business owner who normally lives in Placerville, has one mission this holiday season: collecting toys for military families with one or both parents deployed overseas. “We can’t bring mom or dad home, but we can make sure they have a happy Christmas,” Stanhope said. “Their parents are out there fighting for our freedom and putting their lives on the line.” Though he partners wit

Where do you go when you want to buy or shop for a car? A car dealership obviously. But that’s the point, you GO to the dealership. That’s not necessary anymore. Planet Automotive Group in partnership with Hyundai have opened a new type of store, a car store, THE car store. The Hyundai Store. The only store of it’s kind in North America, not even the Mall of America with its roller coaster and such has a store where you can walk in, test drive and purchase a car. They will even accept a trade-in if you got one. Starting Monday, Nov. 22, the Hyundai Store is officially open for business in the Westfield Downtown Plaza. Employees were still polishing up the store as the days first customers

The former Doubleday bookstore in Downtown Plaza has a new tenant in time for the holiday shopping season – JZ Toys & Gifts, which opened Nov. 12. “We sell toys for kids ages 2 to 3 and everything up to decorative knives and swords,” said Ali Mohammad, who helps his friend, store owner Zeba Alemi, by managing it. Mohammad said this is the first business venture for them, and he hopes it succeeds. In addition to toys and decorative reproduction edged weapons, the store also sells an assortment of ball caps, lamps, dishes and collectible dolls. About one quarter of the store is devoted to handmade Oriental rugs from Pakistan. “A family of two to three people will spend eight or nine mon

A local company will take resumes on Sunday and Monday to find cleanup workers. Details here.

On Saturday April 24, 2010 from 2:00-5:00 PM, Capitol Mall will be home to the first annual Children's Health & Wellness fair located between 5th & 6th streets.  This is a free event for children and families. There wil be carnival rides, fun activities promoting healthy lifestyles for children, free dental screenings, karate & fencing demonstrations, massages for the adults, great food provided by many vendors including House Kitchen & Bar located on the block at 555 Capitol Mall.  The event is put on by the Sacramento Active 20-30 Club, who have been providing assitance, service, guidance and monetary support to local children's charities since 1922.  

Westfield Group has agreed to sell Downtown Plaza, Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday morning. The city has been pressing Westfield to invest in the plaza for nearly 12 years. Since August, Johnson has been pushing the shopping mall owner to make good on its promise to invest at least $120 million in the under-performing plaza. The alternative, he said at the time, was for Westfield to sell the plaza. Unwilling to invest that much, Westfield decided to sell, Johnson said. But the mayor and city staff must now find a buyer who can agree on a price with Westfield. "Westfield has agreed to step aside, and, if necessary, sell its interests in Downtown Plaza," Johnson said during his week

As a Sacramento resident keenly interested in the history of K Street from the gold rush to the present, I have read many opinions regarding the best ways to fix the ongoing problems of K Street. Some have been proposed recently, ideas that I view with a mixture of amusement and horror. Most involve returning to the mistakes of the past while clearly avoiding its successes. In order to take the best from the past while avoiding some of its mistakes, I have selected some favorites. I can take credit for none of them, as they are all ideas that have been suggested at other times and places, but they seem like the best of the lot to me. This ten-point plan varies in scope from the very simple