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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Welcome to 'The Kay': Downtown Sacramento street might be rebranded
by Jared Goyette, published on October 8, 2012 at 6:29 PM
Storyline: Community
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You've been to K Street in Downtown Sacramento, but have you ever been to "The Kay"?
That might be how you start referring to it soon if a rebranding effort for the stretch of K Street between Seventh and 13th streets proposed by The Downtown Partnership is successful.
Lisa Martinez with the Downtown Partnership said the inspiration for the name came from a fact depicted in a recent book on K Street by local historian William Burg: K Street was often spelled as "Kay Street" in old addresses and newspaper articles from the 1800s through the 1960s, when the street was part of a thriving downtown core.
According to Martinez, the name "The Kay" refers to that history and expresses the idea that the street is returning to its roots, but with a new style.
"We wanted to be able to express that nod back to where our roots are as a district and as a city, but also be able to move the conversation forward, because you can't recreate your history, but you can build upon it – that's what we're trying to accomplish with "The Kay," she said.
Burg concurred that the K Street’s new direction is connected to its history.
“Well, what we're seeing now is a return to that neighborhood's traditional role,” he said. “Traditionally that was not just the shopping district but also the entertainment district – where the nightclubs were, but also where the hotels were, and one thing that we've seen in the last couple of years that has been happening is the opening of a new hotel, The Citizen, and then multiple new restaurants and entertainment venues.”
The partnership has applied for a permit to put new street signs with the "The Kay” logo at every intersection from Seventh through 13th street on K Street. The application, along with the designs of the logo, made their way onto Facebook Monday afternoon.
Martinez said that the partnership’s branding committee had developed the idea, which includes business owners from K Street. She is still in the process of reaching out to more business to get additional feedback.
The rebranding will be part of a larger campaign – which is still in development – that will include profiles of business owners and entrepreneurs downtown.
The idea, she said, is to help encourage the district’s revitalization by doing a better job of telling its story.
"It's about creating a really full, vibrant neighborhood, a place where you can experience things, a place where you can meet up with people," Martinez said.
We’ll be following-up on this story as more information becomes available.
What do you think of the name “The Kay” and the proposed logo? Sound off in the conversation below.
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Jared Goyette is the editor of The Sacramento Press. Find him on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+.
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If you would like to debate topical issues: I hope you put your money where you fingers/mouth are. Let me reassure you that for K Street to rebrand itself with something -as minute of a name change- will be far more greater than power washing or better parking. Those request are already physically there and happening.
As I interpret your above statement I acknowledge that you do not visit K Street or downtown very frequently. You ask for better parking, where would you like to see better parking? I can tell that you do not live in the urban core because you asked for parking. You're not well traveled, have not been to many urban metropolis. If you have been or dwell within, then you would know that parking is readily available and walking one or two blocks is not an issue.
Many cities have specific areas with designated names like "The Kay". Some examples within California are: Gas Lamp district of San Diego, Santana Row of San Jose. The previously mentioned district or streets are know by tourist and locals because of their branded name. I've been to both places many times and I cannot tell you the street names. But i can tell you the names that are branded. My point is that the areas with branded names make sense, and make sense for (most) locals and visitors to our city who are looking for certain destinations.
I was walking on K street this past weekend and a Japanese tourist approached me and asked where she could buy Sacramento souvenirs, I felt very sad that as a resident of Sacramento I could not provided her with a great answer near us. She had a map of the downtown area, within the map I directed her to go all the way down "this street" pointing towards Downtown Plaza then she said the magical words in her broken English accent "Old Sacramento?" bingo, that's it! She didn't say "oh Front Street and K Street", nope she said the Branded name of "Old Sacramento".
Point proven that branded names work.
You bring up a good point about branded names. However, my dislike for the name "The Kay" aside, I still don't see the importance of new street signs; I have no idea what the street signs for Old Sacramento look like, and I have been there plenty of times.
Better uses of energy right now might include: trash cleanup, power washing (it smells like pee all the time), crime prevention, installation of public bathrooms, public art, etc.
You can't wait for things to become, you have to make them come. If you hesitate and become inferior, someone else will have not hesitated and become superior.
The name change is a baby step before K Street or The Kay or Kay Street until that area takes off running. Maybe I'm used to the smell or choose not to be disturbed by the unfortunate things in life but while I'm constantly on K Street I don't see or smell what you're talking about. Can you provided the cross street or business that you're all referring too and then maybe the DSP or the city can concentrate more on the areas described. Also if you have such a negative opinion of K Street, what brings you back or what brought you to the area in the first place?
I agree more public art is needed but that would mean more money! You need businesses to bring in tax dollars then you could have more of everything. I have literally walked down K Street during all times of the day and night, I don't see cops arresting or harassing people on K street. Do you know why I don't see this? That's because it's not happening as much or if at all. You're jaded by the Pee-ast. There are now privately funded officers on K Street to keep people in check, keeps them afraid of doing wrong.
Most places will let a person -that does not look suspicious- use their bathrooms when needed.
As I said, I'm not entirely comfortable with it myself--but it's not really due to a norcal/socal thing. And I always thought "hella" was a norcal term, as evidenced by the recent efforts by a UC Davis mathematician to make "hella-" the official SI prefix for 10^27, and the Sacramento band Hella. (the old joke went: "How many Norcal punks does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Hella. How many Olympia punks does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Mass.")
Personally, I'm no marketing whiz, but I'm kind of ambivalent about the "the." I'm not in love with it, but lack of historical precedent shouldn't rule out an attempt to bring attention to the positive changes happening downtown.
This may be a bit off-topic, but last week I witnessed a poor homeless man passed out & throwing up on himself on a park bench (with paramedics attending to him) at 8th & K street. In my head, I can't help but think of all the ironic post cards one could make with the phrase "Greetings from the Kay!"
A lot of the ideas you suggest are also ideas that have been floating around K Street (in part, again, because of the presence of P) including Portland Loo-style urinals, and reintroducing news vendors and other street vendors to add urban interest as well as eyes on the street. The recently-started street busking program also works to that end--the buskers don't want their beautiful sounds accompanied by odious smells.
I scene outside the Crest is vibrant. Allowing cars has a side benefit.... it permit the safe loading and unloading of people and packages at store fronts and door to door service for "tipsy patrons" is valuable.
Civic types love the "branding process" but I would have waited until the 7th through 9th streets face-lift had some traction. This seems premature with a hint of desperation.
The Kay is at a unique juncture in its growth. We’ve seen some positive momentum in the past year with 17 new businesses that have opened - plus a new owner at the Downtown Plaza. The Kay needs it to be unique and different from other areas in Sacramento. This is one way to support that growth and attract more businesses (like the magazine stand you recommended).
And, you're right. There is always more that can be done to improve the physical space. Unfortunately, some of the issues you mentioned regarding maintenance and homeless are urban realities that you’ll see other urban centers across the country. State Street in Santa Barbara, Pier 39 in San Francisco, Times Square in NYC – they face the same problems.
It all starts with ownership. Active businesses rather than empty storefronts create activity. Pedestrians that see issues and call them in help create change. Branding The Kay is one way to take back of ownership and we encourage you to help us in define what you want The Kay to be.
Separate issue - I personally don't think "The Kay" is a very unique or progressive title for the district, but who knows, maybe everyone else likes it.
If she has a "fancy dress" in her closet, what good does it do her if she never gets to wear it. Life is too short to not be "fancy", when you can.
I work in Downtown and live in Midtown and trust me, K street from the mall east three blocks is about the worst of it on the grid. You need to do much more to attract a serious amount of visitation to K Street other than changing its name.
If the area is so hideous to you then why do you travel down K Street? Are you oblivious to some of the remodeling taking place on 8th & K - think the building name is KRESS-, the Mediterranean restaurant opening up on 9th and K? You're wrong. The worst blocks on the grid are from 10-12th on J Street. Those are gateway blocks that majority of visitors to our city see first.
BTW: you can't tell a city or visitors, "Hey we just power washed our streets and scared all the homeless away for you, come visit us!" A person can't start a business or continue a business with a statement like that. Therefore you need to rebrand and let the people judge for themselves. Don't forget that some people are not jaded like you and optimistic like me. For those who are jaded like you: they might give the place a second chance and really end up liking and visiting more often than not at all. What's to lose? The mostly developed blocks of K street are alive and vibrant, you should know, you smell the pee and see the lack of progress.
Using the dress analogy, it's like you're trying to sell us a stained Walmart dress by putting a nice bow on it, and when we complain, you point out that a high end fashion dress we like ALSO has a stain on it!
Its easier to increase specific budget line items (like power washing) when the economy is doing well and property owners are more inclined to increase the special assessment they impose on themselves. Its also easier to increase specific budget line items when the DSP illustrates how it successfully implemented grant monies it received for a specific purpose. Value of downtown properties have not been impacted as much as the suburbs but they still have been impacted. The other hardship the last 5 years is that fewer significant projects that include dense housing have been completed because banking tightened up on new construction loans.
I imagine its been a bit tricky for the DSP; how to encourage and promote growth in downtown while at the same time facing budget challenges and less development. To make statements though describing DSP branding efforts as "premature" and that their budget "should instead be used elsewhere" aren't quite accurate. We should have deeper perspective on what is going on with K St and downtown both historically and going forward. We also need to note that despite the economic hurdles these past 5 years there is still progress being made.
I am encouraged. There has been momentum in downtown the past couple years after decades of trying to to fix some of the mistake of the past. Yes, some of those mistakes were unfortunately made by the City at the taxpayer's expense. This recent momentum though has resulted in a growth and value. Places like Ella, Mayahuel, Pizza Rock, Dive Bar, KBAR, Oishi, District 30, Broadacre, Blackbird, and Estelle's are giving legit hope. They are paving the way for more significant projects (with a good amount of housing) to start. We will soon enough see construction at the 700 Block and Marshall Hotel. The sale of Downtown Plaza to JMA Ventures is also key. A revamp of that combined with everything else already in motion will really change our downtown over the coming few years. Remember, K St from 10th-13th is already cleaned up. The projects I mentioned above all give hope that the rest of K St from 9th-7th and the mall itself will follow. The timing on the branding is right.
And I can see it growing. When Downtown Plaza rebrands, this is a place JMA can spring from...and that the 700 and 800 blocks can pick up, evolving it into their own signatures on The Kay collectively making it a magnet.
To those who criticize this effort as "not enough", "too soon"...yes, right, of course. No one step, including the $100m invested to date is enough...but they are all unmistakable signs of progress.
As far as the new street signs ("re-branding") go, they're fine I guess. The recent "Cars Return To K Street" endeavor -- a botch, as cars have not returned to K Street and I'm now made to worry about jaywalking tickets every time I walk to Jordanian dudes' convenience store -- so cluttered area with all the additional traffic signals and black barrier posts and strategically placed planters and re-fitted railings and yellow bumps and bike racks and other wingdings that I can't see how a few new signs proclaiming "The Kay" would even be noticed.
And of course, the local yokels who make K Street what it is staked their claim to that stretch a LONG time ago -- before a lot of the folks now brainstorming "re-branding" ideas were even born. They've stuck it out through a zillion revitalizations since the early 1970s, and aren't going anywhere.
By the way, today on my daily visit to the Jordanian dudes' convenience store, I mentioned to the guy behind the counter that soon his business will not be located on K Street, but indeed in The Kay, "that's spelled "K-A-Y." He had absolutely no idea what I was talking about.
@jeffeff - I see cars on K all the time, what you talkin' about? I drive on it everyday! I also don't slow down for people "jay" walking so, watch out. :) jk.
I am impressed with the Hotel Berry -- I especially like how they left the old painted billboard ("MODERATE RATES") on the north side of the building. I just didn't know we were including it in "K Street".
I've been working out at 24 Hour Fitness on 7th & K since it opened in the original configuration. That's a whole other discussion.
But mainly of course, I'd be very interested if you could point me toward any substantiation of the "MAJOR redevelopment project [which] is aiming to break ground soon on the 700 Block that will provide around 15 new retail concepts and 200 new residents".