Building Our Future

A few years ago, when my wife and I looked for a house to buy after returning to Sacramento from Southern California, we found the perfect place near Tahoe Park.

We liked the neighborhood. The house was updated and reasonably priced. The only drawback was a homeless encampment in the park across the street. That made me uncomfortable. We decided not to bid on the house.

The experience came back to me recently while reading about the lawsuit filed against the city of Elk Grove by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Department of Housing and Community Development. California is taking the city to court over its denial of a low-income housing project known as Oak Rose in Elk Grove’s Old Town.

Golden 1 Center attracted its share of controversy over the years, but I want to focus on an emotional piece of the story.

Have the Kings finally created real civic pride, or is it just a basketball team? As I thought about this question, a friend posted on social media after the team clinched its first playoff bid since 2006:

“The local sportsball franchise won something important last night, and all over I see statements like ‘Finally, something to be proud of for Sacramento,’ ‘Way to represent!’ ‘Sacramento Proud,’ etc.

We all should know there are no easy answers to California’s housing crisis. But here are a few things to keep in mind as we consider narratives circulating about where the blame belongs.

First, some encouraging news. As Gov. Gavin Newsom and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty announced, three state office buildings along Capitol Mall are being transitioned into housing.

The Employment Development Department at 800 Capitol Mall, Solar Building at 751 N St. and State Personnel Board building at 801 Capitol Mall are targeted for housing.

It’s been a long time since I’ve cheered for a development with this much enthusiasm. But wait until you see what Kevin Dobson is doing at the long-shuttered Limn Furniture warehouse on Arden Way.
Frustrated from watching so many directionless kids fail to graduate when he was principal at Natomas Charter School, Dobson quit his job to chase a dream. He created a free career academy where motivated high school students can get hands-on experience, internships and college credits at the same time.
Now, with support from the local business community, an agreement with American River College and a $14 million tax-exempt bond to purchase the Limn property for $2.6 million and build the school, Dobson’s Capital College & Career Academy is on track to open in August.

Over the years, I spent lots of time in two buildings that have generated countless colorful stories—the state Capitol and county courthouse.

Both spawned captivating tales of intrigue and chicanery, but it was no contest when it came to which was the more inspiring structure. The original neoclassical Capitol is 149 years old and one of the most graceful statehouses in the nation.

The Gordon D. Schaber courthouse, named after the late, longtime dean of Sacramento’s McGeorge School of Law, is as far from graceful as you can get.

Katherine Bardis and her husband, Bay Miry, are a local development team that does quality work with a good reputation.

Born into the building business, they have fathers who ran successful development firms and continue to leave a positive mark on the community.

Working together as Bardis & Miry Development, the couple continues the family legacies with contributions of their own.