1717 S Street is a residential mixed-use project consisting of 159 affordable housing units and 11,376 SF of ground floor commercial uses. The project is on a one-half block infill site within the R Street Corridor Special Planning District in the Central City Community of Sacramento, CA. The site is between 17th Street and 18th Street on the north side of S Street to Rice Alley.
The project will be constructed of a two-story concrete podium with three to five levels of wood-framed construction on top. A two-level parking garage within the building podium is completely interior to the project with access from Rice Alley. In addition to four stairwells, the building will have two elevators for access from the ground level to the 6th floor. Site improvements include new sidewalks and landscape areas on 17th, 18th, and S Streets.
Location:North side of S Street between 17th and 18th Streets
Unit Mix:159 units at 158 affordable housing units regulated at low or very low income levels plus 1 manager unit
Unit Types:16 Studios, 119 One bedrooms, 24 Two bedrooms
Site Amenities:
11,376 SF of commercial space for restaurants and neighborhood serving commercial tenants with outdoor patios located at the back of the public sidewalk along S Street
22,610 SF of private and public outdoor spaces including patios, podium deck, resident lobby, and a community room with a kitchen, game tables, and tv lounge
132 vehicle parking spaces in a two-story secured parking facility
Long-term secured bike parking for up to 128 bicycles
40 short-term bicycle racks located around the building
7 designated motorcycle parking spaces inside the garage
On-site management
Developer: 1717 S Street Investors, LP: A partnership between Capitol Area Community Development Corporation and CFY Development
Funding Provided by: California Housing Financing Agency (CalHFA), Keybank, Freddie Mac, Alliant Capital, Sugar Creak Capitol, Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA), California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, California Debt Limit Allocation Committee
Architect: Kuchman Architects PC
Building Type: Two-story concrete podium with 3-5 levels of wood frame above
Acres: 1.2
Estimated Total Development Costs: $69 million
Projected Construction Period: November 2020 to February 2023
Creative crosswalks are among the set of improvements called for in the Envision O Street Concept Plan. The inclusion of creative crosswalks in the Plan initially came out of meetings with the O Street Steering Committee. This concept was tested during an outdoor pop-up workshop for the O Street Plan in June 2018. Over 300 people attended the event at 9th and O Streets. The most popular idea from the workshop was a creative crosswalk, which staff tested during a 9-hour window from 7 AM to 4 PM. There were zero collisions or pedestrian/driver conflicts during the pop-up creative crosswalk test.
Creative Crosswalks Case Studies:
CADA prepared Creative Crosswalks Case Studies to highlight key features of successful creative crosswalks that promote public safety and help eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries, while also cultivating a sense of place and economic development.
CADA prepared the case studies through research and informational interviews with leaders from across the state who have installed creative crosswalks in their cities. Communities include Long Beach, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
Based on the report’s findings and the current status in Sacramento where the creative crosswalk concept has been tried in a few locations, the report recommends installing creative crosswalks through a segmented approach focusing on one intersection at a time. Additionally, the research suggests creative crosswalks should maintain the “transverse” or “continental” crosswalk markings. Crosswalk art should be added as a supplementary aesthetic feature using contrasting colors and a durable, retroreflective material. Where possible, the report also encourages the use of supplementary crossing facility enhancements such as pedestrian crossing signs, curb extensions, and lighting. Based on Federal guidelines, the safest and most effective crosswalks often use a combination of traffic control devices or design elements to inform both motorists and pedestrians.
A key take-away is that none of the jurisdictions studied have experienced any increases in accidents as a result of installing them, and in many cases the intersections were safer because of the addition of creative crosswalks. Further, none of the cities have been subject to a decline in Federal or State funding for transportation improvements as a result of installing creative crosswalks.
Next Steps:
CADA is working with the City of Sacramento Public Works Department in an effort to gain approval to install creative crosswalks at an intersection on O Street. Staff is also working with members of the Caltrans Walk/Bike Technical Advisory Committee to modernize and clarify State guidance on crosswalk art.
As part of implementation of the Envision O Street Concept Plan, CADA is preparing plans to create a multi-purpose outdoor art plaza and event space on the 900 block of O Street. CADA is also focusing on converting the existing turf into a climate-appropriate landscape on the block.
The prominent outdoor plaza will be at the southeastern corner of 9th and O Street. There will also be a small, welcoming seating area on the northwestern corner of 10th and O Street with a smaller shaded seating area that uses consistent design themes as the larger plaza. There will be a “loop” walking experience around the extension of 900 O Street around the light rail tracks to highlight the climate-appropriate landscaping.
The overarching design thread is the work of Ray Eames (1912-1988), who was a native Sacramentan and a leading American designer who worked in a variety of media including furniture, textiles, architecture, film, and toys. The block’s design will incorporate themes from her work and color palettes, with opportunities to collaborate exhibitions with the nearby California Museum and Crocker Art Museum. Proposed design elements include a sculptural seat wall, artistic and functional habitat markers, kinetic wind sculpture, canopy shade structures, and painting portions of the adjacent garages.
Major components include:
Plaza Space Activation. Redesigning and upgrading the large plaza at the southeastern corner of 9th Street to include new public art, an artistic canopy, play and exercise areas, and micro retail. It will function as a major social gathering space to improve aesthetics, promote social interaction, and encourage people to be outdoors. The plaza is highly visible from adjacent office buildings, including the existing Natural Resources Building, Energy Commission, and the Bonderson Building.
Climate-Appropriate Landscaping. Providing habitat connectivity between the planted areas along the corridor, so they can serve as pathways for pollinators and birds, and also to help create visual continuity.
Parking Structure Façade Improvements. Enhancing both DGS parking structures with façade improvements that include new murals or art features (e.g., unique architectural elements, dynamic lighting, etc.).
Artistic Shade Canopies. Integrating artistic shade canopies at each end of the block that are functional and enhance the area’s sense of place.
Storytelling Elements. Incorporating informational kiosks and artistic medallions to highlight the important roles of State agencies with nearby offices.
Engagement:
As part of the Envision O Street planning project, CADA held a workshop in February 2020 to reimagine the future of the block as an integral public gathering space that integrates art into a climate-appropriate landscape.
CADA also facilitated a year-long collaboration with a committee of volunteers from the Xerces Society, Audubon California, California Department of Water Resources, and the California Native Plant Society.
This project focuses on modernizing the streetscape directly fronting CADA commercial tenants on 10th Street between O and P Streets across from Roosevelt Park (Yummy Choice, OB 2000, Bagel Time, and Goodyear Cobbler & Cleaners), and at 11th and P Street (Le Croissant). The improvements are designed to enhance this neighborhood commercial node by making the area more attractive, creative, contemporary, and tasteful through pragmatic, cost-effective improvements. The goal is for the proposed improvements to encourage pedestrian and bicycle activity, assist the existing commercial tenants, activate the underutilized spaces, and enhance the overall livability of the neighborhood by making the pedestrian connection between R Street and the Capitol Park/O Street district more pleasant.
Engagement:
Throughout the process, CADA has engaged the commercial tenants to ensure the proposed improvements fulfill the area’s needs. CADA also coordinated with the City of Sacramento to ensure consistency with planned improvements and project feasibility.
The proposed improvements are designed to achieve the following outcomes:
Improving Sidewalks.
Paving. The sidewalks will be repaved to City historic design standards to even out the grading, thus ensuring ADA compliance. The new paving in the café seating areas (between the sidewalk and roadway) will have a distinctive top cast finish.
Underground downspouts. The current drainage system has drain pipes along the building with downspouts that flow water directly onto the sidewalk. As part of the paving improvements, the downspouts will be undergrounded beneath the sidewalk to flow water into the landscaping areas.
Expanding the Public Sphere.
Bulb-out. The improvements include a bulb-out in front of Yummy Choice at 10th and P Streets to allow for more outdoor seating.
Parking Pay Machine Tower. There are currently individual parking meters along 10th Street, which will be replaced with two parking pay machine towers. This will reduce barriers on the sidewalk.
Enhancing the Outdoor Dining Experience.
Lunch counter with custom perforated panels. There will be custom lunch counters with perforated panels between Yummy Choice and OB 2000, in front of Bagel Time, and in front of Le Croissant on the P Street side. The steel panels will be laser cut with illustrations designed by Studio Tutto and have a powder-coated finish. The panels are designed to complement the wildlife mural and provide a unique and functional art piece to enhance the neighborhood.
Seating. There will be permanently-fixed stools for the lunch counters. There will be movable chairs and tables.
Additional Amenities. There will also be a litter receptacle, pet waste station, and bicycle racks in the middle of the commercial tenants on 10th Street in front of OB 2000. There will also be two metal umbrellas covering the tables outside of Le Croissant along the P Street frontage.
Improving Landscaping.
Drought-tolerant Landscaping. The existing plants will be removed and replaced with a new climate-appropriate planting palette, which will include Greensphere Manzanita, Bush Anemone, Cleveland Sage, Berkeley Sedge, Atlas Fescue, Lime Tuff Dwarf Mat Rush, Hummingbird Sage, and Island Alum Root. There will also be a short metal garden fence around the planting areas to protect plant material from pedestrians.
Adding Art.
Mural Extension. Artist Stephen Williams will extend the existing 10th Street wildlife mural that he painted to include the small rectangular overhang above Yummy Choice on the P Street side.
Capitol Box Art Project. The traffic utility box on the corner of 10th and P Streets has an art wrap designed by Sherry Knutson as part of the Capitol Box Art Project.
Sonrisa (1322 O Street) consists of 58 microunit apartments with 1,300 SF of ground floor community space. 100% units will be affordable at low and very low income levels.
The project is a centrally located one block south of the State Capitol on an underutilized infill site with exceptional public transit accessibility, walkability, and proximity to jobs and services. Sonrisa is the first project to break ground under Executive Order N-06-19 for Affordable Housing Development, which prioritizes affordable housing development on excess State-owned property and pursuit of sustainable, innovative, and cost-effective construction methods. The five-story building will be constructed as a Type-IIIB using cross-laminated timber for the horizontal components of the building. The project will be built on a concrete mat slab foundation.
The project has been made feasible through multiple layers of public financing including a development ground lease with the CA Dept. of General Services, a Capitol Area Development Authority loan, tax credits and bonds, and a CA Dept. of Housing and Community Development Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Program loan.
The project was one of the most competitive TOD Program applicants, for which it was awarded $10 million. The project sponsor also collaborated with SacRT on two companion TOD infrastructure grant applications, which were awarded over $2 million to further the Light Rail Modernization Project at the 13th Street and Archives Plaza stations.
Unit Mix:
Fifty-eight (58) 267 SF small-studio units
Affordability Mix & Unit Breakdown
Rent Level
No. of Units
Rents
% of Total Units
2022 Max Income
40% AMI
22
$710
38%
$28,400
50% AMI
28
$887
48%
$35,500
60% AMI
7
$1,065
12%
$42,600
Mgr.’s Unit
1
—
2%
—
Total
58
—
100%
—
Unit Amenities:
Built-in Sofa/Wall Bed and Wardrobe Closet
Fully adaptable for accessibility
Individual-controlled HVAC system
High ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows to optimize natural daylight and temperature stratification
Ceiling fans
Window blinds for solar control
Electric cooktop, convection microwave, and refrigerator
High quality building materials & interior finishes
Site Amenities:
1,300 SF ground floor community space
Community kitchen with a 5th-floor terrace
Secure bicycle storage room
Lobby/Resident Lounge/Co-working Space
Carshare, Bicycle Racks, and Scooter/Bike Share on O Street
On-site management
Sustainability:
100% electric ahead of the City of Sacramento 2026 requirement
Carbon sequestering mass timber construction
Sub-metered centralized heat pump water heating and HVAC system
Full building commissioning
Low-water demand landscape materials
Permeable landscaped area that directs surface stormwater runoff from paved areas to the landscaping to promote infiltration and detention
Low VOC building materials
Participation in SMUD programs for use of renewable energy sources
Developer: A partnership between the Capitol Area Community Development Corporation and CFY Development
Architect: Williams + Paddon Architects + Planners
Funding Provided by: Capitol Area Development Authority; California Department of Housing and Community Development; California Housing Financing Agency; California Tax Credit Allocation Committee; California Debt Limit Allocation Committee; WNC & Associates, Inc; and JPMorgan Chase Bank
Development Description:
Located in the Historic R Street Corridor, this project is the historic preservation and rehabilitation of a three story commercial building built in 1908. Known as the Rochdale Building when it was constructed, the structure was formally used as warehouse space and later an office for the State Department of Building and Grounds. When rehabilitation is complete, the historic property will be home to a ground floor restaurant and office space on the second and third floors.
Status:
Construction was completed in December 2016.
Location: The site is located at the southeast corner of 11th and R Streets.
Developers:
Ali Youssefi, Cyrus Youssefi, and Bay Miry
Architect:
Applied Architecture
General Contractor:
CFY Development
Height:
3 floors (First floor restaurant and two upper floors of office/commercial space)
Acres:
.07 acres (3200 square feet)
Parking:
20 parking spaces on adjacent leased property owned by CADA
Estimated Development Costs:
$2,900,000
Projected Construction Period: December 2013 to April 2016
Since the inception of the R Street Corridor Master Plan, CADA has been leading the way to implement the mixed-use, transit-oriented development vision of R Street. CADA’s most significant contribution to the corridor to support such development has been the total reconstruction of the R Street Streetscape between 10th and 18th Streets. Completed in 3 phases, CADA helped design and fund streetscape improvements to provide a safer and more pleasurable experience for pedestrians on R Street.
The R Street Streetscape Improvements included:
New pedestrian walkways with 4 inch curbs
A new concrete roadway surface
Designated on-street parking
Improved pedestrian crossings
Unique pedestrian street lighting and fixtures
Preservation of historic elements (e.g., rail line, cobblestones)
New drainage and water line systems
ADA-compliant accessibility
Street trees with ornamental Tree Grates
Benches
Art Pieces
Bike Racks
Monument signs
Phase I Improvements from 10th to 13th Streets were completed in 2012
Phase II Improvements from 16th to 18th Streets were completed in 2015
Phase III Improvements from 13th to 16th Streets were completed in 2018
Project Team Leaders:
CADA Project Manager: Todd Leon, 916-322-2114 ▪ Email: tleon@cadanet.org
Truitt Park is a new City of Sacramento neighborhood park site within the R Street Corridor located at the southwest corner of the intersection of 19th and Q Streets. The design of this park was guided by a Master Plan the City Council Adopted on September 29, 2015. The Truitt Park Master Plan includes a community garden, shade trees, art, a small central plaza and off leash dog facilities for both small and large canines. Construction of the new park was completed in August 2017
Project Contact: Todd Leon – CADA Development Director – tleon@cadanet.org – 916-322-2114
Development Description: The proposed project is on the southwest corner of 14th and N Streets overlooking Capitol Park. It is an eight-story mixed-use development that includes 98 market-rate studio, one, two, and three bedroom rental and condominium units, 1,900 square feet of ground floor retail, and 67 parking stalls. The residential entrance/lobby and retail space are oriented along N Street. The 2nd floor terrace includes a pool with landscaping to provide shaded privacy for residents, lounge, and gym. The 8th floor terrace will include a seating area, outdoor BBQ and community table, native planting with built-in seating, and a shade structure.
Building Design: The massing and design marks the building as contemporary while referencing the surrounding context. The design emphasis is at the pedestrian level with transparent retail at the corner and residential lobby on the street to contribute vitality and energy to the street. The building’s upper portions are broken into visually distinctive forms to the existing building scales around them. Exterior building materials will consist of a smooth cement board and smooth stucco finish in neutral colors contrasted by balcony elements. The building provides a porcelain tile finish on the ground level.
CADA’s Affordable Housing Mandate: CADA’s mission is to help create a neighborhood for all, including all household types and incomes. CADA is mandated to preserve 25% of its housing stock (units that CADA manages or builds) as affordable units. Because this project will have 92 market-rate units, CADA will be providing at least another 23 units of affordable housing to meet the mandate, thus increasing both market-rate and affordable housing in the neighborhood.
Location: Southwest corner of 14th and N Street
Massing/Height: 8 stories
Unit Type Units
Studio 20
1 BR 51
2 BR 26
3BR 1
Unit Count: 98
Construction Type: 2-story concrete podium (Type IA) with 6 stories of wood frame (Type IIIA)
Acres: .44 acres
Retail Space: 1,900 SF
Parking: 67 spaces below-grade and on the ground floor with access from Neighbors Alley
