SACRAMENTO, CA | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Regional Administrator Ophelia Basgal joined Congresswoman Doris Matsui in Sacramento announced on January 10 that Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency will receive a $300,000 Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant. Sacramento is one of 13 cities nationwide receiving this funding to begin grassroots efforts to revitalize the Twin Rivers Community Housing, a distressed public housing development at 321 Eliza Street, and transform the Sacramento River District-Railyards neighborhood. “All across the country, local planners are serious about rolling up their sleeves to transform distressed neighborhoods into choice n

The city’s Planning Commission approved the use of 5.38 acres of land on the edge of the Sacramento River for the development of the Powerhouse Science Center – a project that will transform the historic Pacific Gas & Electric power station into a high-tech, hands-on, science museum. The $50 million project was unanimously approved at the Planning Commission meeting Thursday. The Powerhouse project, a design-build project by local firms Dreyfus & Blackford Architects and Otto Construction, will be a relocation and expansion of the existing Sacramento Discovery Museum Science and Space Center located on Auburn Boulevard. “The new (science) center will provide clear ways for us to explore

With nearly $450 million invested in development projects so far, the River District is moving ever closer to realizing its potential for being a valuable transit, business and community hub for the Sacramento region. Business leaders, City Council members and members of the River District association gathered Thursday to hear the latest progress report on development efforts for 750 acres along a 2.5-mile stretch of riverfront that is currently residence to industrial, retail and office uses and about 400 homes. The event, hosted by the River District board of directors and attended by more than 80 people, was an opportunity to learn about recently completed development projects and get

Sacramento’s new River District Greyhound bus terminal – the “greenest” in the country with a LEED silver certification – will replace the L Street location and begin operating July 19. “This is a community-friendly terminal that really makes transportation by Greyhound bus viable for everyone in the city,” said City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby at the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning. She praised the support from multiple politicians and the business community the project has gotten. Located across the street from a police substation that will possibly become police headquarters, the new bus terminal at 420 Richards Blvd. provides a safe transit point for the community, accordi

The first of about 3 million young salmon were released into the American River Thursday, and California Department of Fish and Game officials said they will finish the job Friday. They hope those fish will return to spawn within two to five years. “They were spawned, hatched and partially raised at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Rancho Cordova,” said Dana Michaels, information officer for the Department of Fish and Game. About 25 percent of them have coded wire tags in their noses so Fish and Game staff will be able to track how many of them are returning to their native grounds to spawn. The goal, Michaels said, is to return the number of fish to their natural levels – levels that have d

Construction on the light rail’s Gold Line will close numerous stations and streets over the weekend as it will be undergoing track renovations from 6 p.m. Friday to 4 a.m. Monday. The Gold Line construction will close the Eighth and K streets, Seventh and I streets, County Center and the Sacramento Valley Stations as well as several streets. Regional Transit spokeswoman Alane Masui said that from 6 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, eastbound H Street between Sixth and Ninth streets, southbound Seventh Street between F and I streets, and northbound Eighth Street between I and G streets will be closed. Masui also said that from 8 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday, eastbound H Street between S

The American Institute of Architects' Central Valley chapter this week led a panel discussion and tour in the River District, described by some as one of the region’s hottest areas. The roughly 773-acre River District, previously known as the Richards Boulevard area, sits north of downtown in an area bounded by the Sacramento and American rivers, the historic railyards and parcels along North 16th Street. More than 200 property owners hold title to about 400 parcels located there. The discussion featured Township 9 developer Steve Goodwin, Sacramento Economic Development Department Senior Project Manager Rachel Hazelwood, Community Development Department Senior Urban Designer Greg Taylor

The Powerhouse Science Center is moving from plan to reality as officials announced Thursday that they have received a $7 million government grant, which means construction will start in July on the riverfront. The center will educate visitors in science, technology, space and nature through its displays, which will include a planetarium, a Challenger space shuttle learning exhibit and interactive exhibits on natural sciences. “This is a huge milestone because this is the first significant public money that we’ve gotten into the project,” said the center’s interim executive director, Michele Wong. The $7 million comes from Proposition 84 taxes, under the Safe Water Bond Act. Voters appr

Loaves & Fishes is building a new 15,000-square-foot combination warehouse, reception area and administrative building on the corner of North C and Ahern streets. “This is really our welcoming center,” said Sister Libby Fernandez, executive director of Loaves & Fishes. “This is the entrance to Loaves and Fishes.” There were several reasons to build the new structure, which is a warehouse with interior walls to give space for offices in addition to storage, Fernandez said. The current warehouse and donation center is a rented space near Friendship Park and sees a lot of foot traffic, which poses a safety issue, Fernandez said. “We have 700 people walking through there every day,” she sa

Major changes are in store for the city’s River District, as the Sacramento City Council approved a set of future development plans Tuesday night. The planning documents set a path for development of the area over the next 25 years, according to a report from city staff. The city’s plans for the River District, a 773-acre swath between the Sacramento Railyards and the American River, focus on ramping up residential, commercial, office and hotel development and moving away from industrial development. Council members approved the plans in a 8-0 vote. Mayor Kevin Johnson did not attend the City Council meeting because he was out of town, said Johnson spokesman Joaquin McPeek. The city wan

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 mentio

The Sacramento Preservation Commission took an important step toward protecting the River District's history Wednesday by recommending creation of a new historic district and designation of other properties as landmarks. The commission's six present members voted unanimously to recommend the Sacramento City Council create the North 16th Street Historic District and add nine properties found elsewhere in the River District to the Sacramento Register of Historic & Cultural Resources. At the same time, the commission postponed a decision on whether to start the historic landmark nomination process for the state printing plant at Seventh Street and Richards Boulevard. The building was design

The Powerhouse Science Center in Sacramento today announced it has accepted a $250,000 grant from First 5 Sacramento. The grant will help build a room that will support a school readiness program by featuring age and development-appropriate learning activities. Located on the scenic banks of the Sacramento River, the Powerhouse Science Center will be the premier science and space learning center serving Northern California. It will serve as a model for 21st-century experiential education in science, math, technology, engineering, and space – and an exemplary “green” building that functions as an environmental teaching lab. The Center, which will cost an estimated $50 million, has nearly

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has earmarked $1.5 million to help fund sustainable planning for the Sacramento region, HUD Deputy Secretary Ron Sims said Friday. The money is being awarded to the Sacramento Area Council of Governments and its planning partners through HUD's new Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program. A day earlier, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced Sacramento was among 45 regions to win a portion of nearly $100 million in grants created under President Barack Obama's Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The grant program is designed to boost regional economies through coordinated planning for housing, transportation, the env

Sacramento's Discovery Museum and its partners could use the community's help as they vie for $7 million in state grants to build the Powerhouse Science Center, supporters said Wednesday. Fundraisers working on behalf of the museum and Carson Development Co. are asking Sacramentans to write letters to California State Parks supporting an application for the single biggest chunk of public money being sought for the $50 million project. The city of Sacramento and PG&E are partnering on the project. The $7 million would be used to build an earth, science and space center with a planetarium dome, which may be the first phase of construction. The money was applied for under California Propos

Township 9, a mixed-use project planned for the River District, is eligible for up to $1.35 million in Proposition 1C state bond funds after being recognized for its sustainable design plans, a state agency official said Thursday. The 65-acre development, which will be built between the American River and Richards Boulevard east of Fifth Street, was named a Catalyst Project in the California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program. The program was created to promote the goals of Senate Bill 375 promoting sustainable building strategies and less dependency on cars, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, which awards the funding. More than 10 state agenci

Angelique Ashby Announces Series of Community Forums Throughout District One It's become common, often expected, for politicians to have goals for the first 100 days in elected office. But what about goals for the 100 days prior to taking office? On Monday, Angelique Ashby commemorated the 100 day countdown by unveiling Community Connections, a series of district-wide meetings seeking ideas, thoughts, input and experiences related to the challenges and successes throughout the region. Ashby was elected to Sacramento's City Council on June 8 with 51% of the vote in a dramatic three-way race, unseating incumbent councilmember Ray Tretheway after nearly ten years in office in District One

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the new, temporary Greyhound bus terminal next week. At Tuesday’s Sacramento City Council meeting, the council is expected to transfer $4 million in profits from the Sheraton Hotel sale and other funding to finance the project and to cap construction costs for the bus station itself at $5.4 million. The item is part of the consent calender, so no discussion is scheduled. The total project — including a street extension, parking lot and utility improvements, fencing and other items — is budgeted at nearly $7.6 million, according to a city staff report. The project will also be paid for with $2 million in high-priority general fund revenues, $900

A dearth of construction jobs and an efficient design-build strategy are helping construction of the California State Lottery headquarters come in way under budget. With the six-story building's frame just completed last week and more than a year of construction to go, it's too early to say what the final construction cost will be. But it's expected to be substantially less than the $63.5 million earmarked for the project on North 10th Street near Richards Boulevard, agency officials said Thursday. Subcontractors have agreed to work below previously estimated costs. "It's a really good time to be building because construction firms don't have as much work. So you can get a better price,

The Sacramento City Planning Commission approved planning entitlements for construction of a temporary Greyhound bus station on Richards Boulevard Thursday night, paving the way for the relocation of the West Coast's second-busiest bus terminal. Concerns involving transients, fencing, pedestrian access and bicycle parking were also addressed during the meeting. In a unanimous vote, seven commissioners granted the necessary special permit and planned unit development guideline amendment to enable Mogavero Notestine Associates to build a bus station at 420 Richard Blvd. on about 1.75 acres in the Discovery Centre development in the River District. Commission Chairman Michael Notestine, a p