Backgrounder

The Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA)
CADA is a joint powers authority created by the State of California and the City of Sacramento to implement the residential and neighborhood commercial components of the Capitol Area Plan - a state plan for 42 blocks of state-owned property, south of the Capitol, in the heart of the City of Sacramento. The Capitol Area Plan, adopted in 1977 and updated in 1997, was a forerunner of smart growth and the new urbanism movement. The plan calls for the area to be redeveloped as an urban village of state offices, housing, retail and parking; a place where residents can walk and bicycle, and where they have transit options to travel to work and entertainment destinations, thus reducing dependence on automobiles and improving regional air quality.

History
CADA began implementing the Capitol Area Plan in 1978 by preserving the rental housing stock transferred to its care from the State of California. Since then, the organization has built hundreds of dwelling units through effective public-private partnerships. With over 25 years of developing and managing urban infill housing, CADA has transformed the Capitol Park Neighborhood into a community of neighbors with diverse lifestyles. As the neighborhood's desirability gains momentum, CADA is meeting both the growing demand for housing and challenge of maintaining economic diversity.

The R Street Corridor
Because of CADA's unique structure and its proven expertise in linking, convening, collaborating and sharing resources with diverse public and private partners, its redevelopment boundaries were expanded in 2002 to include the key central section of the R Street Corridor. The purpose of this expansion was to address blight and accelerate the pace and pattern of redevelopment along the southern border of the Capitol Area between 10th and 19th Streets. Redevelopment of this blighted area will enhance the Capitol Park Neighborhood and serve as an opportunity for transit-oriented development in proximity to the 13th and 16th Street light rail stations. High density development in this area with a strong component of mixed-use housing will help relieve pressure for high density housing in other parts of the Central City and forge a better connection between the Capitol Area and the residential neighborhoods south of R Street.

Moving forward
While CADA's primary mission remains the implementation of the residential and commercial components of the State's Capitol Area Plan, a strategic relationship has developed between the actions CADA and the State take in the Capitol Park Neighborhood and the actions the city and community effect in the Central City. Because these connections are important, CADA stays involved in greater community endeavors by being an active member of civic and neighborhood organizations and supporting events that promote the continued evolution of Sacramento's pedestrian-friendly urban core.