The downtown portion of K Street saw a lot of activity in 2010, from streetscape improvements to community debate over the redevelopment of troubled portions and the construction of new nightlife venues.

At the beginning of the year, portions of K Street were still torn up from the previous year’s streetscape improvement project. A Sacramento Press article from February covered the ongoing improvements, which have since been completed.

By late March, the city was discussing the next step in the process and considering four proposals for the 700 and 800 blocks of the street.

The plans for K Street were the subject of significant public debate, with historians, developers, residents and businesspeople all involved. Historian William Burg wrote his opinion on the plan here, generating a lengthy discussion on what the future should hold.

In advance of a pivotal July City Council meeting, the major contenders were vying for the city’s nod to develop portions of K Street, and Sacramento Press Editor in Chief David Watts Barton wrote his first of several editorials on the subject.

The July 13 City Council meeting saw two teams – one led by D & S Development, Inc. and CFY Development, Inc. and the other by Sacramento developer David Taylor – come out on top. To read more about the meeting and their proposals, click here.

Barton wrote a second editorial on the subject in which he expressed his approval of the decision as well as the community involvement throughout the process.

Other news on K Street in 2010 involved the construction and opening of new businesses.

The portion getting the most attention was the 1000 block of K Street, in which a trio of venues promises to add to the street’s nightlife.

San Francisco nightclub owner George Karpaty’s multimillion-dollar vision was undergoing construction in 2009, but work had stalled. By February, the construction was back on track.

As the months passed, construction steadily progressed, and Barton wrote another editorial about K Street – this time specifically about Karpaty’s project.

Late in the year, things were coming together, with a projected opening for the end of December or January, and The Sacramento Press brought readers a glimpse into the venues.

By the middle of December, projected January opening dates for the three businesses were given in an update on the construction progress.

Just a few blocks away, near Seventh and K streets, Vive Cocina opened in March, and a tequila-themed restaurant and museum – Tequila Museo Mayahuel – was under construction at 12th and K.

To finish out the year on K Street, the Sacramento County Historical Society brought back a holiday tradition – antique holiday window displays on the corner of 10th and K.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Image one by Brandon Darnell. Images two and four by Staff Reporter Suzanne Hurt. Image three by Ingrid Ratliff.