California’s capital often hides in the shadows of Los Angeles and San Francisco, but now, Sacramento is trying to make a change.
With the deconstruction of the Sacramento Convention Center comes yet another sign of change in the city. The decision to tear down the old convention center is a part of a plan to reconfigure the Convention Center, Community Center Theater and Memorial Auditorium.
This plan is among many others that are striving to create a new image of Sacramento, making it a destination city of its own.
The most significant aspect of Sacramento’s new look thus far is the Golden 1 Center and Downtown Commons (DOCO).
The Golden 1 Center attracts artists and crowds that Sacramento never did before, and DOCO provides a fun place to hang out. The increased foot traffic through the area also adds some safety and cleanliness to the area, compared to much of downtown.
“I’ve been to DOCO a couple of times, once for a party and one just to hang out with my friend,” said junior Natalie Link. “It is clean and well-kept and the people who work there and in the stores are nice and friendly.”
What many people don’t know, however, is that the Golden 1 Center is only the beginning.
The Hardin is a $60.1 million project lining the 700 block of K Street (the street that dead ends into the Golden 1 Center). The street will integrate local restaurants, stores and nightlife with the old building fronts for an urban, appealing facade.
Architects designed over 100 apartments of various sizes to be built above these retail spots. The roof, however, is rumored to be open to the public and include gardens, a fitness center and possibly restaurants.
More emerging projects including the Powerhouse Science Center and the Railyards have some promising designs for the city as well.
The Powerhouse Science Center will include a science, space and technology museum in addition to a planetarium. Construction of this center continues on the riverfront and city planners estimate construction will be completed by 2021.
The Railyards, only a few blocks away from the science center, will develop 244 acres of land for retail, office, housing, theaters, hotels, museums, and a Kaiser Permanente hospital. The highlight of the Railyards, however, will be an Major League Soccer stadium that covers rest of the open land.
Republic FC, Sacramento’s soccer team, applied for the construction of an MLS stadium in hopes it would increases their chances of winning the bid on becoming an official MLS franchise.
“A new MLS stadium would draw more business into town which boosts Sacramento as a whole,” said sophomore Ryan Cervinka. “I enjoy going to games, though they are a little expensive when they have to pay off the new arena.”
Many of the biggest cities in America are proud to call famous franchises their own, and Sacramento introducing a new look to both the Sacramento Kings and Republic FC plants a promising seed towards the city’s expansion.
The myriad of proposed developments downtown, in addition to the recent deconstruction of the Sacramento Convention Center, create an exciting future for Sacramento, one that will hopefully put us on the map.