Photo Credit: City of Sacramento
CA FWD’s Voices of Shared Prosperity blog series amplifies the stories of Californians who are committing their time and talent to solutions that embrace equity, environmental sustainability, and economic opportunity.
This year, we’re highlighting leaders who are making a difference in the greater Sacramento region, leading up to the 2024 California Economic Summit taking place in Sacramento next week.
Last month, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg gave his final State of the City address at the UC Davis Aggie Square Innovation Campus, a project that will bring an innovation hub to the City, and also aims to benefit local residents and businesses. It’s a concept that he and the City hope to replicate in other parts of Sacramento, including the Marysville/Del Paso Blvd Corridor.
Mayor Steinberg is focused on “inclusive economic development” with attention on disadvantaged neighborhoods and commercial corridors that have long suffered from underinvestment. “The two sort of go together because, while the City has a number of historic corridors that are rich in diversity and rich in history, most of them are very poor in resources,” he said. “And as we grow this City, which has been a key direction over the past 15 years, we want to be much more than just a Capital City, much more than just a government town, grow more industry, more technology and more lifestyle.
The Marysville/Del Paso Blvd. Corridor was once a thriving area of Sacramento, supported by agriculture, transportation-related and commercial industries. But in the 1940s, a confluence of events that included the construction of highways that bypassed the area, and the closure of McClellan Air Force Base led to decreased investment in the area and eventually its decline.
“The Marysville project is important as North Sacramento is another area that has been too long forgotten and underinvested and that’s really the story here. It’s just the beginning and I’ve laid a foundation as Mayor, but that foundation needs to really grow,” added Mayor Steinberg.
The City is collaborating with stakeholders to strengthen the corridor as the economic and cultural epicenter of the surrounding neighborhoods. The Forward Together Grant program has invested $700,000 for two types of grants to increase collaboration between the business and community organizations on programs that will improve the quality of life and economic opportunity for the Corridor’s residents and businesses.
“It’s about the community and it’s about their vision. The City’s role is to be a catalyst and to provide the investment tools,” explained Mayor Steinberg. “Traditionally cities have not been in engaged in economic development in a direct way with resources, we are service providers, that’s what we are. The role of a modern city and the responsibilities of a modern city are changing and changing in real time.”
The City is also mindful that revitalizing underserved areas may lead the gentrification. “That’s the key to inclusive economic development, making sure that the communities that have long lived in these historic diverse areas, that they benefit from growth and if they’re priced out it’s a failure.” Mayor Steinberg cited Aggie Square as an example of how longtime residents and businesses are safeguarded. In that project, the City negotiated a Community Benefits Partnership Agreement (CBPA), and provided $50 million for affordable housing, which includes construction, rental and down payment assistance and assistance for home repairs.
And Mayor Steinberg’s vision of a revitalized Marysville/Del Paso Blvd Corridor? “Whatever the community wants it to look like. It could be the center of art and culture, music, it could be a center of life science, it could be anything. The community needs to define that vision.”
Mayor Steinberg and the City of Sacramento will host this year’s California Economic Summit on October 8-10. Summit attendees will have an opportunity to tour Aggie Square on October 8 and listen to a discussion the development of that project during a plenary session on October 9.
Besides visiting Aggie Square, Mayor Steinberg encourages attendees and visitors to explore Sacramento, “There are so many things in our City, go downtown to the Golden One Center, Midtown to look at the incredible restaurants and food scene, go out to Old Sacramento where we got a $40 million investment to modernize the waterfront. You can go to so many neighborhoods to see the potential.”
