Remote Surveillance Trailer in West Sacramento, CA

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

West Sacramento has approved the first phase of a major riverfront development project, which includes a hotel and housing.

River One, a twin 130-ft-tall 7-story project that will be home to 199 4-star hotel rooms, 57 condos (depending on market), a shared pool, fitness center, 2nd floor retail, an outdoor restaurant, event space, and views of the Sacramento River, has been issued building permits.

The project, situated next to the Tower Bridge, represents an ongoing investment in the city's riverfront area, and local businesses have expressed their support for the development.

The project was first proposed in 2019, but faced major setbacks because of the pandemic.

Residents like Tess Thompson are excited about the new additions.

"We want places to hang out. We want places to have fun, you know, we want it to grow. We love the River Cats. We love that the A's are here. Like we love all of this," said Thompson.

Thompson, who enjoys spending time at Drake's The Barn, is looking forward to the new hotel and condos.

"The hotel coming up and the condos coming up, like I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be just lively and fun, and it's just going to be a great vibe over here," said Thompson.

Fulcrum Property, a Sacramento-based real estate developer, is behind the project. The project is between the Tower Bridge and the Ziggurat Building.

"What we're trying to achieve is more housing and growth in different markets," said Mayor Martha Guerrero, who praised the developers for their role in the city's growth along the riverfront. "It's the way that Fulcrum has evolved to meet the demand of today. And it's just, you know, visionary to be able to adjust and pivot and develop along the riverfront in a way that helps accommodate the growth."

Right next to Drake's The Barn is Fulcrum's other project, the Pier Side, which is nearly complete and will offer a mix of housing and office spaces set to open in the coming months.

Nick Wootten, owner of Birdies Social Club, sees the development as an opportunity for more people to visit his business.

"As more and more development happens here, that's just going to continue giving people an opportunity to kind of bounce around here, not feel like just a destination, but a place they're going to spend the entire evening," said Wootten.

Wootten views the growth as beneficial.

"As we can get more and more businesses over here, we can keep residents over here. We can keep people visiting over here. They can bounce around and have dinner at one spot, have a drink at another spot," he said.

Currently, only the first phase of the project is approved, and developers have not yet announced when construction will begin.

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Local and regional housing partners marked the groundbreaking Thursday for River Grove Apartments, a $27.7 million affordable housing development at 641 Fifth St. that will provide 36 rental homes for extremely low-income households, with a focus on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and veterans experiencing homelessness.

The project is being developed by Brinshore Development, Operative Office, New Hope Community Development Corporation and Yolo County Housing. Construction began Jan. 8, and the development is expected to begin leasing in 2027. When completed, the multi-story, elevator-served building will include 32 two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units, along with an on-site manager’s apartment, totaling about 28,000 square feet of residential space.

“This affordable housing project serves as a critical part of our larger community health continuum,” said Oscar Villegas, Yolo County supervisor for District 1. “Our county safety net services and health programs can only do so much if our residents don’t have an affordable and warm place to sleep at night.”

All 36 rental units will be reserved for extremely low-income households and supported by project-based vouchers from Yolo County Housing. Eighteen units will serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in partnership with Alta California Regional Center, and four units will serve veterans through the HUD-VASH program. The John Stewart Company will provide property management services.

“This project reflects the best of what public service can be: different sectors, different partners, all aligned around one shared goal — ensuring people have a safe, stable place to call home,” said Dr. Dawnté Early, a West Sacramento City Council member for District 3 and a commissioner with Yolo County Housing and New Hope Community Development Corporation. “For me, this work is personal because at one point my family relied on affordable housing programs, and that access made it possible for us to call West Sacramento home.”

River Grove Apartments will include dedicated community space for supportive services and is designed to meet California’s current energy-efficiency standards. On-site services will include a service coordinator to connect residents to community resources, provide advocacy and organize community-building activities, as well as a supported living specialist to help residents maintain housing stability, build life skills, and access education and employment opportunities. Alta California Regional Center will contribute ongoing services funding for residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including individual planning, service coordination, employment training, supported and independent living services, and other housing supports.

“This project faced multiple hurdles along the way, and we’re so grateful to every organization that believed in this project, adjusted with us along the way, and helped ensure we would make it to this point,” said Ian Evans, president and CEO of New Hope Community Development Corporation and executive director of Yolo County Housing. “Today is exciting because it means that in the not-too-distant future, we’ll be seeing people move into their new homes—people who will have a roof over their head, a place to call home, and services when they need them.”

The development relies on a complex funding package common to affordable housing projects in California. Financing includes competitive 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, an Infill Infrastructure Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, funding from the California Department of Developmental Services through Alta California Regional Center, Yolo County’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation, and support from the City of West Sacramento. R4 Capital is serving as the equity investor, and Citizens Business Bank, N.A. is the debt investment partner.

“Delivering affordable housing takes real partnership across every level of government and strong community organizations,” said Rep. Doris Matsui, whose district includes West Sacramento. “Thanks to Brinshore Development, New Hope CDC, Operative Office, Alta California, and the dedicated public servants at the Yolo County Housing Authority and the City of West Sacramento, River Grove Apartments is becoming a reality. When completed, this development will provide 37 affordable homes in the heart of West Sacramento, close to services, transit, and green space. Projects like this are how we bring meaningful investments into our community, create real stability for families, and ensure more people have the peace of mind that comes with a safe, affordable place to call home.”

Several local and state officials attended the event or sent representatives, including staff from the offices of Rep. Matsui, state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. West Sacramento City Council members Verna Sulpizio Hall and Quirina Orozco were also present. Speakers included West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, Early, and Villegas.

“The need for affordable housing is critical, and the City of West Sacramento embraces projects like River Grove Apartments to meet the needs of individuals and families,” Guerrero said. “We’re committed to supporting innovative projects that support our most vulnerable community members and look forward to the official ribbon cutting in the near future.”

As an infill development on an underutilized urban site, River Grove Apartments is intended to advance West Sacramento’s commitment to expanding housing options for residents who face significant barriers in the private rental market, while bringing new housing and activity to the surrounding neighborhood.

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

West Sacramento has been awarded a nearly $43 million grant from the state to make significant investments in long-term housing and eco-friendly transportation with an emphasis on affordable housing.

On Tuesday, the city announced the grant was awarded through California's affordable housing and sustainable communities grant program.

In the press release, the city said, "this award represents a major investment in the City’s long-term housing, mobility, and climate-focused infrastructure goals."

$28 million will be used to fund the Grand Gateway Affordable Housing Development.

$14.5 million will be allocated to purchase two electric trains, improve stations and bus shelters, and enhance paths for bikers and pedestrians. Additionally, $500,000 is designated to support home rehabilitation for low-income residents.

The Grand Gateway affordable housing development will be located at the intersection of West Capitol and Grand Street, featuring 114 affordable housing units where the Rodeway Inn Emergency Housing Program currently serves the unhoused community.

" We have so much opportunity to support new development so that we can accommodate the housing demand that we have in our community, and also a strong interest from the business community to either expand or start new businesses," said Traci Michel.

Michel is West Sacramento's Director of Economic Development and Housing, who's tasked with bringing this new district to life.

" What we're doing is we're making a lot of sites that were underutilized historically and making them ready for development," said Michel.

The city said it has secured a location to replace its Rodeway Inn facility, and once the transition is complete, developers will start planning the demolition process.

This development is a part of larger plan to create what a city official called the "Grand Gateway District," which would sit near Sutter Health Park and connect the city's Bridge District to the Central Business District.

Renderings of the project design show what will become over 300 market-rate units, 30,000 square feet of retail space, a dog park, outdoor space, and a hotel.

"We have a tremendous need for affordable housing in the region, as well as in our community," said Traci Michel, who says, "this just helps us to expand the inventory available for people who've been on waitlists for a long time to get access to high-quality, affordable housing that also is directly linked to public transit."

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WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif — Construction is reshaping West Sacramento’s Bridge District, where cranes, steel and fresh concrete are rapidly changing the skyline along the riverfront.

The biggest addition is Pierside, a mixed-use project rising near Drake's: The Barn. Fulcrum Property, the main developer behind much of the district’s growth, describes the development as one of its most ambitious efforts yet.

“These things don’t happen overnight,” said Fulcrum President Randy Koss, who spoke with ABC10 earlier this year.

Koss said the company began the waterfront buildout by targeting “aspirational projects,” including Pierside, a seven-story development with more than 260 apartments and townhomes over two levels of parking. A separate five-story building will include a fitness center and a pool overlooking the river, along with ground-floor retail and upper-floor office space that will eventually house Fulcrum and Brown Construction.

“Everybody deserves to have a resort-style pool, fitness on the river and on the waterfront,” Koss said.

Brown Construction, which is helping build Pierside, says progress is moving quickly.

“This project is flying,” said Darrin Henry, the company’s vice president of construction operations.

He said his team has spent decades working in West Sacramento and sees the latest surge of construction as a continuation of that work.

“We are growing our home. We are building our home, and a lot of them are going to be a part of building this structure,” Henry said.

The changes from earlier this year to now are visible across the Bridge District. Several other housing projects are either underway or nearing completion, including West Gateway Place II, a 60-unit affordable housing development. The Grand Street Apartments, a 195-unit project, has not broken ground.

Construction is also moving forward on a new life science campus near Pierside.

Closer to the Tower Bridge, Fulcrum’s long-planned River One hotel and condo project is also inching toward breaking ground.

“We're trying to create that set that bar higher in Sacramento,” Koss said.

Koss said the city plans to finish the riverfront with a plaza just north of Drake's: The Barn over the next decade.

“Imagine six to ten restaurants on the river around a plaza where you have music, interactive fountains, farmers markets, that really doesn’t exist in the region,” he said.

Developers say the goal is to make the waterfront a destination, especially with the A’s bringing new energy to the area while the team temporarily plays at Sutter Health Park.

Henry said there may not be a better vantage point.

“I don't think that there's a better view. If you were sitting on the Sacramento side, you’d be wishing that you were sitting over here looking back at it,” he said.

The office portion of the Pierside project is expected to be completed by late March or early April. The apartments are expected to be finished by November 2026.