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Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City council allocates $3 million for Old Sacramento dining deck repairs
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Repairs are in the works for an old dining deck in Old Sacramento. On Tuesday night, the Sacramento City Council voted unanimously to spend about $3 million dollars to replace the old deck overlooking the Sacramento River of formerly the Rio City Cafe. A 2019 study deemed the 30-year-old deck unsafe after years of deteriorating due to rain, wind, and other wear and tear. In April 2024, the owners of Rio City Cafe had to close the lower outdoor deck of the restaurant which accounted for a significant portion of the cafe's seating. The owners previously told FOX40 that losing that section of seating was extremely hard on business. Repairs to the deck were put on pause by the city due to a lack of funding in 2024. By August 2024, the cafe ultimately closed its doors due to the impacts of losing the deck and there being no clear timeline for when repairs would be made, if ever. 'I have heard so many comments from people that were deeply disappointed that the city did not find a way to address the deck in a timely manner,' District 2 Councilmember Roger Dickinson said at Tuesday's meeting. The city said money for the project wasn't available in 2023 or early 2024. However, later that year the state awarded the city $4.6 million dollars through the Budget Act. Fast forward to January 2025, the project was restarted and by March the city council accepted the grant. Several in the community and city leaders including Mayor Kevin McCarty have long cited a need for investment at the Old Sacramento Waterfront. 'We have Major League Baseball. People are walking from downtown through Old Sac to the ballpark and I want them to see a sign saying 'Hey, coming soon' and improvements being made to our Sacramento riverfront. This is very, very timely and I expect us to be done before October so this will be ready to roll and have a new operator,' Mayor McCarty said at Tuesday's meeting. Final construction costs for the deck are estimated to be around $2.9 million. Leaders at Tuesday night's meeting said the deck would be rebuilt to last for at least another 30 years. Repairs to the deck must comply with several agencies given the deck's location over the Sacramento River including the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Work is expected to begin in May and be completed by October 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
05-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
$6 million in grants awarded to city to help restore Old Sacramento
SACRAMENTO — The City of Sacramento is getting millions of dollars to help fix up Old Sacramento, but the historic district is showing signs of its old age and has a long list of things that need to be fixed. The city is getting more than $6 million in state and federal grants to help make waterfront repairs. Near the top of the list is restoring the barge where the Delta King riverboat is docked. The city noted that the historic paddlewheeler may have to move to another location if the barge continues to deteriorate. "The Delta King is iconic to the area. It has a great significance," said Delta Pick Mello, executive director of the Sacramento History Museum. "We don't want to lose that." Another priority project is fixing the wooden boardwalks. "The boardwalks are essential, people just step back into time when they go on these boardwalks," Mello said. The city says there's over one mile of raised walkways in Old Sacramento, with wood that is deteriorating and needs to be replaced. Other items include renovating the public market buildings and fixing the former Rio City Cafe, which closed last summer after its outdoor dining deck was declared unsafe. The grants are just a fraction of the estimated $40 million it will cost to fully renovate Old Sacramento. Other money will come from the city's hotel tax. "We've got about 160 property and business owners in Old Sacramento that I think over the years would tell you they've waited for an opportunity to see this type of investment," said Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership. Plans also include building a new children's playground along the waterfront where the old schoolhouse is currently located.
