Businesses in Sacramento: How’s Business in Downtown?

The keynote speaker at the 2023 State of Downtown breakfast Tuesday said he expected to find downtown Sacramento more blighted.

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“I expected to see more of it significantly overriding your downtown, but it actually is not as bad as some other places,” said Brent Toderian, a city planner from Vancouver, British Columbia.

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Toderian said homeless in Sacramento is not as severe as in his city, though it is significant when coupled with drugs, violence and mental health needs.

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“It’s a human crisis that needs to be addressed in appropriate and proper ways and human ways,” he said.

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Toderian, who runs the consulting firm UrbanWorks, listed Sacramento’s assets: Golden 1 Center (home to the Sacramento Kings), a downtown with local merchants and Old Sacramento’s turn-of-the-century architecture.

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On the other hand, he said, the pedestrian walkway to Old Sacramento from downtown is barely noticeable and needs to be enhanced with lighting. He also noted that new housing has been developed downtown but often without parks, performance spaces or retail, that would entice residents.

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He said other issues seem to be ignored by officials: broken street lights on K street, too many one-way streets confusing motorists and a “timid” street patio policy that doesn’t invite people to enjoy dining outdoors.

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The annual breakfast event, sponsored by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, can be described as a pep rally for downtown, so Toderian offered a refreshing view of downtown’s promises and challenges.

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More than 900 persons were in attendance at SAFE Credit Union Convention Center and speakers Tuesday included Congresswoman Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, Mayor Darrell Steinberg, city council members and state representatives.

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Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Partnership, said he was looking forward to a more robust future for downtown, while acknowledging that that some businesses didn’t survive the pandemic and half-empty downtown office buildings may never be full again.

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Ault said the solution is to develop more housing downtown. Research shows, he said, that downtown residents patronize nearby local businesses more than office workers do.

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Ault noted six new downtown hotels have opened in the last year and a half and that occupancy levels downtown are exceeding pre-pandemic numbers in 2019.

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Another positive: He noted that the purple laser beam that the Sacramento Kings launch above Golden 1 Center after winning home and away games has become a symbol of pride for Sacramento residents particularly as the team wins more games.

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The specifics of just how homelessness, the drug and mental health epidemic could be reduced downtown were not discussed in detail.

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“We know we have challenges,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “Look, we lived through this terrible pandemic. We know that homelessness is a major problem. I don’t ignore that but I look at all the great things.”

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The mayor did mention that an “iconic” retail store would open in the future at 16 St. and J St, just the kind of shopping that Toderian said downtown Sacramento lacks.

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A letter obtained by The Bee shows Whole Foods could be part of the mixed use residential and retail development 1617 J St. between downtown and midtown. Lucca Restaurant once occupied the space.

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Meanwhile, The downtown partnership and Toderian said they are considering an on-going consulting relationship, but Toderian cautioned that talk is easy, results aren’t.

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He noted: ”The truth is in most cities I talk to, Its entirely too easy to have a good conversation and do business as usual.”

This story was originally published February 21, 2023 at 4:32 PM.