The Merged Downtown Sacramento Redevelopment Project Area consists of four constituent project areas, adopted over a period of 17 years starting in 1955, which were merged in 1986 to provide maximum flexibility with revitalization and funding efforts. The Project Area covers over 104 blocks and 300 acres in the heart of Downtown Sacramento, stretching from the Sacramento River on the west, I Street on the north, 18th Street on the east, and S Street on the south.

Over the past 45 years the Redevelopment Agency (Agency) has invested over $364 million in Federal and local public dollars within the project area. The Agency has been the key factor in bringing the downtown area back from blight and stagnation and transforming it into a sophisticated and dynamic regional Downtown. The Agency's redevelopment efforts have included involvement with a wide variety of projects including a regional shopping center, hotels, high- and low-rise residential units, new Class-A office buildings, and commercial projects. It has assisted many smaller businesses with rehabilitation loans and grants and has fostered preservation of historic buildings and promoted cultural arts and social services.

2005 Downtown Sacramento Redevelopment Strategy (download PDF file, 1.0MB)

Last year, the Agency approved the 2005 Downtown Sacramento Redevelopment Strategy, which builds on over two decades of established policies related to Downtown. The Strategy strives to support these policies by defining contemporary strategic opportunities and a set of actions that will guide City and Redevelopment reinvestment strategies for Downtown over the next five years.

Sacramento is currently experiencing low unemployment, high job growth, increased market interest in Central City housing, and demand for new Class-A office development. The 2005 Redevelopment Strategy assumes the City and Redevelopment Agency will act proactively to capture these economic opportunities to realize revitalization objectives and policies. Specifically, the Agency will partner to help implement the following strategies:

Strategy #1: Continue to Increase Downtown Employment
Current absorption rates for offices suggest there could be two to three new office projects developed in the next five years. The City and Agency will encourage development of office projects that support transit, retail, entertainment, and cultural objectives in the K Street District.

Strategy #2: Pursue the Development of Complimentary Retail Development
The success of retailing in Downtown depends on positioning retail addresses, such as K Street, Old Sacramento, and Downtown Plaza, so they compliment each other rather than directly compete. The City and Redevelopment Agency will work with public/private partnership organizations to support the successful expansion of, and tenant recruitment for, existing retail addresses.

Strategy #3: Pursue Development of Cultural and Entertainment Facilities
The City and Agency will encourage development of new cultural facilities and synergistic uses supportive of the Museum Mile and Theatre District. The Strategy emphasizes the connection between these activities for their mutual success.

Strategy #4: Development of Housing and Mixed-Use Projects as Revitalization Catalysts
Continue to support development of housing and mixed-use projects in the Central City with an emphasis on developments that will build a critical mass of residential population to support other activities in the CDB.

Strategy #5: Fill the Gaps in Downtown Public Improvements
Implementation of streetscape improvements in Downtown has been developed on a project-by-project basis, resulting in gaps. The strategy emphasizes adding street trees, developing signage and a way-finding information system, and pedestrian-scaled lighting.