West Sacramento’s Grand Gateway District is shown in the image. The West Gateway Affordable Housing apartments are in the Bridge District portion of the Grand Gateway near the Rivercats’ ballpark. Graphic courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - West Sacramento City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance at its first meeting in 2025 that could lead to the creation of a high-density, mixed-use development in the city’s downtown core.

According to a staff report, the Grand Gateway Zoning District would replace the current Grand Gateway Overlay Zone referenced in Chapter 17.16 in the city’s municipal code.

The ordinance, if passed, would incorporate and refine applicable land use regulations and development standards under the West Sacramento General Plan for the Central Business District while meeting plan goals for promoting “unique” high-density development that “include a range of residential, retail and employment uses and serve as both visitor destinations and place of commerce.”

The city has been working on developing this triangular-shaped, 8.5-acre district located at the intersection of Grand Street and Tower Bridge Gateway since 1992, purchasing land that includes the former Rodeway Inn, Old Town Mill Inn, Experience Motel and State Route 275.

In 2013, West Sacramento received $100,000 in grant funds from the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District to create design and use standards and guidelines for the district. That led to eventual construction of pedestrian, cycling and transit infrastructure and the West Gateway Place Apartments as part of the $33.39 million West Gateway Place Affordable Housing and Grand Gateway Transportation Infrastructure Project completed in early 2017.

“This is an important step to help address the ongoing state and regional housing crisis that has made housing unattainable for thousands,” West Sacramento Community Investment manager Mark Polhemus told the council about approving the ordinance.

The ordinance would “clean up” planning and development standards in the Grand Gateway District, which has been subject to different standards from two of the three districts surrounding it: Washington District and the West Capitol Avenue/Central Business District as well as current Grand Gateway standards.

The ordinance would also remove six land parcels from the Washington Specific Plan and reassign them to the Grand Gateway District “to avoid conflicting development standards” and find that the project is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review because the development density is consistent with “existing zoning and general plan policies for which an Environmental Impact Report was certified.”

In June 2023, City Council declared the property as “Exempt Surplus Land” through the state’s Surplus Land Act with the intention of selling the property to a developer. Later that year, they selected a development team that proposed 455 multifamily residential units, of which 144 would be affordable units, along with ground floor retail space, a hotel, a public plaza and a potential public park.

In 2024, the city was awarded $60,000 in state grant funds through the Regional Early Action Planning program to address policy and physical changes to the Grand Gateway area. It used the funds to contract with urban and environmental planning firm AECOM to create new environmental planning documents that will expedite future Grand Gateway development.

Asked about the timeline once the ordinance is approved, Polhemus said that they would finish resolution of title issues surrounding the sale of Highway 275, formalize a district subdivision planning map and proceed with enacting Disposition and Development agreements with selected developers.

“We’re working toward that this year,” he added.

Said Councilwoman Quirina Orozco of the steps so far, “I think our community is going to be very excited, if they’re not already, to see what the potential holds.”

City Council unanimously approved the first reading of Ordinance 25-1.