Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "downtown developments"

Second Saturday Grand Opening of Rossi Sculptural Designs Studio Gallery

2012-08-08T02:13:22Z

Editor's note: This article was co-written with Madison Loven.

Join us August 11th for the grand opening of Sacramento’s newest gallery, Rossi Sculptural Designs Studio. Clad humbly in corrugated metal, the mid-sized studio sits inconspicuously in a warehouse district in midtown. In it you’ll find metal pieces of all shapes and sizes, colored glass pieces, hand tools, and various machines with which to manipulate the mediums. It is an artist’s playground. And according to its owner, there is an artist in everyone, even if they don’t know it.

Run by local artist and sculptural bike rack extraordinaire, Gina Rossi, this gallery is also a school for learning how to fuse glass and weld metal. Gina says that teaching MIG sculptural welding and fused glass classes in her 20th and S Street Midtown urban studio allows her to connect with the community and keep the magical journey of art alive. Her goal is to inspire Sacramentans to tell their stories through creating community public art sculptures for all to enjoy.

Gina’s work dots the midtown landscape. She specialized in creating one-of-a-kind sculptural art bicycle racks. You may have seen Gina’s fierce dragon bike rack on 12th and R Street. Or perhaps you’ve read about her latest creations for the Sutter District, but have you seen her perform a live sculptural jam performance, where music-driven kinetic masterpieces are created before your eyes? Don’t miss this opportunity to observe the art of plasma cutting then experience the thrill of welding first-hand!

Gina has also invited several of her colleagues to display various mediums to mark this special occasion. One of the more known artists, Jerrod Mays, from French Camp, CA, will be showing his Lodi Community Art Center's 50th Annual Spring Art Show Best of Show piece, “Crazy Legs,” a four-and-a-half-feet tall metal spider made from an old air compressor and “It’s Complicated,” his larger-than-life sculpture octopus, which received an Award of Merit at the 2012 California State Fair.

Sacramento native, Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO3), Tony R. Ulep, will showcase metallic photograph prints of his many deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. The photographs explore the fascinating cultures, architecture, landscapes, and blazing sunrises and sunsets of the Middle East.

Do you have some creativity of your own to unleash? Well come and observe the art of plasma cutting then experience the thrill of welding first-hand or join in painting on our canvass wall mural, created for the community, by the community.

Rossi Sculptural Designs regularly presents an opportunity for other playful spirits to come manipulate the elements wielding fire against steel and glass. Sculptural welding classes are held the first and third week of the month, and fused glass classes are offered the second and fourth weeks. Visit facebook.com/rossisculpturaldesigns like the page and then click on “Promos” under the timeline to get $50 off any beginners welding or fused glass class, but hurry, the promotion ends August 31, 2012.

For more information, contact rossisculpturaldesigns@gmail.com
Rossi Sculptural Designs
1801 20th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Disclosure: This article was written by Madison Loven & Karen Ulep, two former students of Rossi Sculptural Designs Studio.

CADA Receives $795K in Funding for 16th Street Greenscape

2012-05-22T20:37:46Z

The Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) has been awarded $795,000 in funding from the Strategic Growth Council Urban Greening Grant Program (Prop 84) for the 16th Street Greenscape Project. CADA was one of the few agencies to receive funding over $75,000 and was one of 50 projects selected out of 260 applicant proposals.

The purpose of the 16th Street Greenscape Project is to:
• Reduce storm water runoff from 16th Street and its sidewalks and reduce water pollution flowing to the Sacramento River
• Significantly increase the amount of permeable landscaped space in the public right-of-way
• Reduce air pollution and increase shade
• Educate the public about the environmental benefits of sustainable streetscape design
• Support and catalyze urban infill development
• Improve pedestrian safety and walkability
• Enhance the physical unity of the 16th Street project area

CADA’s Prop 84 funding award will help to complete the project designs, construct seven intersection bulb-outs, install 16 storm water retention units, and plant 28 street trees.

CADA’s infill project developers are also participating in the construction of 4 intersection bulb-outs, curbs, gutters and sidewalks in conjunction with the publically-funded storm water retention units.

Maintenance will be carried out by the Midtown Property and Business Improvement District PBID, CADA’s project developers/owners, and the Friends of Fremont Park. In addition to these partners, other key partners include the City of Sacramento Departments of Utilities and Transportation, the University of California, Davis Arboretum and landscape design students, 16th Street property and business owners, CADA tenants, and neighborhood residents. Public access to all parts of the project will be unlimited and construction is expected to start in Spring 2013.

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The Capitol Area Development Authority was created in 1978 by a joint powers agreement between the State of California and City of Sacramento to facilitate the development of quality residential and neighborhood commercial development within the Capitol Area Plan. For more information, visit: www.cadanet.org

Disclosure: I am the Communications Manager for the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA).

Art Dedication Ceremony & Movie in Fremont Park

2012-05-09T23:13:13Z

Join the Friends of Fremont Park, Councilman Rob Fong, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC), CADA, and artist Stephanie Taylor this Saturday, May 12th, for a day of family fun at Fremont Park. The festivities will kick off at 5:30 p.m. with the dedication of Confluence, the 8-foot sculptures recently added to Fremont Park through public art grants provided by SMAC and CADA. The sculptures depict aspects of the famous explorations of the 19th century “Pathfinder,” John C. Fremont. Although the event is free to the public, visitors might want to bring some extra cash for the food truck vendors who will be selling a variety of cuisines beginning at 6 p.m. Participating vendors include Drewski's, Heavenly Dog's, and Volkswaffe.

Stay to enjoy woodworking classes for children provided by Willies Woodshop and the grand finale – a star-filled sky and DreamWorks Animation’s, “Kung Fu Panda 2” which will begin at around 7:45 p.m. So break out your best viewing blanket and get the kiddies to Fremont Park, located at 1515 Q Street (corner of 16th and Q Streets) in Downtown Sacramento!

Now more about the movie…the Furious Five – Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Crane (David Cross) and Viper (Lucy Liu) are reunited in this sequel of chopsocky action. Po is older now, a Dragon Warrior, and a custodian of the Valley of Peace, but he still loves to eating, chowing down and impressive 38 bean buns without breaking a sweat.

Soon trouble enters as soldiers arrive to take away every bit of household metal they can lay their hands on. They’ve been sent by Lord Shen (Gary Oldman), a bad-seed peacock who years before had fallen out with his parents and who, as part of his plan to rule all of China, is bent on getting hold of the materials he needs to build murderous cannons. Worse, having been told by a soothsayer that a black-and-white creature will be his nemesis, he has sought to exterminate all pandas.

Po must save his community, stop gunpowder from becoming the replacement for kung fu, and take out the seemingly indestructible Lord Shen. He is on also on a self-discovery mission. Plagued by fuzzy dreams about his childhood and told by his goose-father that he was adopted as a young panda, Po wants to find out what happened to his birth parents.

Children will be enchanted and parents will be lost in the wonderment of the animator’s gorgeous depictions of rural mountains and lakes and may even catch some references to history in its sub-plot about plundering villagers’ metal that draws on memories of Mao’s policies during the Great Leap Forward of 1958-61.

Disclosure: Karen Ulep is the Communications Manager for CADA.

CADA Board Appoints Interim Executive Director

2011-10-31T22:06:16Z

At its October 28, 2011 meeting the Board of Directors of the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) appointed Jacqueline Whitelam Interim Executive Director effective January 1, 2012.

Jacqueline Whitelam will assume this position upon the retirement of Paul Schmidt, CADA’s current Executive Director. In making Ms. Whitelam’s appointment, Ann Bailey, the CADA Board Chair noted that, “Jackie is uniquely qualified to lead CADA at this time when the Department of General Services is reviewing the possible sale of the state-owned properties managed by CADA. The outcome of this review could significantly impact CADA and its continued role in implementing the residential and neighborhood commercial components of the State’s Capitol Area Plan.”

Ms. Whitelam has been a senior member of CADA’s executive staff since its inception in 1978 and its Deputy Executive Director for the past six years. Prior to her service at CADA, she worked in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research and the Office of the State Architect on the preparation of the State Capitol Area Plan. At CADA her responsibilities have included assuring CADA’s affordable housing mandates are met, maintaining organizational excellence, and leading CADA’s strategic planning process.

Ms. Whitelam is a licensed architect who holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Architecture from the University of California. She was a founding member of the City of Berkeley Landmarks Preservation Commission and the West Sacramento Housing Development Corporation.

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CADA is a city/state Joint Powers Authority whose mission is to implement the residential and neighborhood commercial elements of the State’s Capitol Area Plan. CADA funds redevelopment and new developments within its boundaries as well as directly manages and maintains apartments, commercial/retail properties and parking spaces on state property.

Disclosure: I am the Communications Manager for the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA).

CADA Executive Director Paul Schmidt to Retire December 2011

2011-09-26T22:19:05Z

Paul Schmidt has announced that he will retire from his position as Executive Director of the Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA) at the end of December 2011. CADA is a Joint Powers Authority of the City of Sacramento and the State of California. By announcing his retirement plans now, Schmidt provides the CADA Board of Directors with time for a seamless transition of leadership.

Schmidt was appointed Executive Director in 2005, but his work in the Capitol Area began in December 1975 when Schmidt and Jacqueline Whitelam, CADA’s Deputy Executive Director, were staff planners for the State on the Capitol Area Plan, adopted by the Legislature in 1977. The Urban Land Institute has called the Capitol Area Plan “an experiment of national significance”. When CADA was created to implement the residential and neighborhood commercial components of the Capitol Area Plan Schmidt and the founding members of CADA first cleared blight and established an internally funded rental assistance program. Since 1978, CADA has built over 800 new dwelling units through public private partnerships and rehabilitated an additional 600 units. Twenty five percent of the units CADA manages or develops are affordable to extremely low, very low or low income residents. Today, CADA has established a model of smart growth by building mixed-use, mixed-income sustainable development adjacent to light rail stations serving the Sacramento region.

Schmidt served as CADA’s Development Director for 15 years, having been responsible for Somerset Parkside, Stanford Park Townhomes, the Capital Athletic Club, Saratoga Townhomes and numerous other downtown projects. He was also instrumental in the planning and development of the East End and R Street Projects. From 1995 to 2005, he was Director of Asset Management overseeing the acquisition and sale of properties, as well as CADA’s capital improvements and facilities maintenance programs. During his time at CADA Schmidt has been civically engaged in improving the City of Sacramento. Schmidt initiated community workshops on R Street, chaired Sacramento Heritage Inc. and served as President of the American Institute of Architects Central Valley chapter. He is also a long time member of the Board of Directors of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the Friends of Light Rail. Recognition of the professionalism Schmidt has evidenced throughout his career has included his being named Corporate Architect of the year in California by the AIA California Council in 2001.

Reflecting upon his time at CADA, Schmidt said, “I consider public service a vocation. I have been privileged to devote my career to making the Capitol Park Neighborhood into a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family. It’s now time to turn the opportunities and responsibilities over to the next generation and let them realize their aspirations.

The staff and board members of CADA wish to express their gratitude and appreciation for Paul Schmidt’s commitment and the example he has set in being a neighborhood-builder and compassionate leader.

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CADA is a city/state Joint Powers Authority whose mission is to implement the residential and neighborhood commercial elements of the State’s Capitol Area Plan. CADA helps facilitate redevelopment and new developments within its boundaries as well as directly manages and maintains apartments, commercial/retail properties and parking spaces on state property.

Disclosure: Karen Ulep is the Communications Manager for CADA.

CADA Invites the Public to a Presentation of Developer Proposals for the SE Corner of 16th & P Streets

2010-11-01T23:38:50Z

Mogavero Notestine and Associates, SKK Developments and Sukna Global Holdings will be presenting their proposals for development of East End Gateway Site 4, in response to CADA's August 1, 2008 Request for Proposals (RFP). East End Gateway Site 4 is a highly visible site at a prominent intersection and of the last key development sites along 16th Street in the Capitol Park Neighborhood.

Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Place: CADA Administrative Office located at 1522 14th Street

Each Development Team will describe their proposed project, answer your questions and hear your comments and suggestions.

Refreshments will be served.

If you cannot attend this presentation and would like more information, please call Tom Kigar at 322-2114. To see a project summary, please visit the CADA website at www.cadanet.org and click on the “Developments” link, then go “Current Projects” and then to “East End Gateway Site 4”.

Disclaimer: This article was posted by Karen Ulep, CADA Communications Manager.