Three years ago, the City of Sacramento purchased 102 acres in the Meadowview Neighborhood for $12.3 million. To this day, the land remains vacant, with no clear plan for how it will be used.
City officials originally proposed the site for safe parking and temporary shelter as part of a broader effort to address homelessness. However, after evaluating the land, city staff determined those plans were not feasible due to some areas being protected by environmental regulations and there not being proper roads leading to the site.
A 102 acre Meadowview site purchased by Sacramento in 2022.(Courtesy/City of Sacramento)
Since then, Sacramento’s City Council has discussed multiple proposals for the site, including affordable housing, a youth sports complex, and economic development, but no formal commitments have been made.
District 8 Councilmember Mai Vang worked with former Mayor Darrell Steinberg to acquire the land in 2022. She says the city must ensure the property is used in a way that considers South Sacramento residents’ wants and needs.
Vang, who represents the district, has hosted several community listening sessions since the purchase to get input on how community members want the land to be used.
“It was actually my office that identified the 102 acres in South Sacramento, and when we first identified and acquired the property, there was a commitment, for me, that we would do everything we can to ensure that this property long term would be an economic catalyst for South Sacramento,” she said.
Uncertainty around funding and development stalls project
The city acquired the land from the U.S. Department of Labor in January 2022 with hopes of using it for a temporary homeless shelter and housing services. However, after further evaluating the land, the city determined the costs of developing a safe parking area or temporary housing would be too high.
“Yes, we did purchase the site under the comprehensive siting plan for short-term uses, if it was feasible. After we acquired the site, city staff did an analysis, and we later found that it would cost in the millions to even set up safe parking and temporary shelter,” Vang said.
With those findings, the city says the focus is on long-term development, but no final decision has been made.
Even if the council agreed on a plan today, the site wouldn’t be built until the 2030s. According to the city website, any plan would take at least six to seven years to develop.
City council differs on the next steps
During the Sacramento City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 12, Mayor Kevin McCarty said the city must secure funding before committing to any plans or taking any action.
“I think we can't get ahead of ourselves. We don't want to box us in. Because we don't want say this is our land … and be sitting on this for 20 years.” McCarty said.
McCarty suggested a public-private partnership, where the city would retain some control of the land while bringing in outside investors to help fund the project. McCarty did not specify which developers they could work with or what projects would be prioritized.
“Here, a potential developer is going to ask us permission on what to build on this land, and we actually own the land too. So, even more opportunity to incorporate what you spent two years talking to your residents about as far as what we could have there,” he said to Vang at the meeting.
Some Sacramento City Council members pushed to formally adopt “guiding principles” to ensure a structured approach to the 102-acre site.
District 1 Councilmember Lisa Kaplan asked the council to come back with an actionable item to move forward, saying that without these delays and a lack of direction, the project would not progress.
“I just want to reiterate that I hear different versions of a lot of things from all of our council members. That's where I think it is important that we come back so official action can be taken,” Kaplan said.
The meeting ended without the council agreeing on any action. Kaplan warned that without clarity, the city would continue to leave the project on hold.
“The only way that there is clear direction when there is this much opinion and discussion is to actually bring back an item so that we can vote and give directions,” Kaplan said.
Residents say South Sacramento is being ignored
Several Meadowview and South Sacramento residents spoke during public comment, saying they were frustrated with the lack of progress. Some questioned why the city was still not committed to using the land to address homelessness as initially intended. Others said this could create an overconcentration of homeless services in South Sacramento.
Junior Goris, president of the Delta Shores Community Association, worries that the city will continue delaying progress.
“South Sacramento cannot afford further delays in development. We need investment in housing, economic opportunities, and public spaces now,” Goris said. “We have spent years in discussion. Now it's time to act.”
Some neighborhood advocates say the city should not rush into a plan without considering what the community wants.
Member of the 102 Acres Advisory Committee, Silverio Llamas, has worked to gather feedback from residents. He says the neighborhood wants a mixed-use area that reflects the needs of South Sacramento residents.
“We've spoken to them. We have a really strong Pacific Islander population and a lot of those kids were really asking for a rugby field. And some of our members even mentioned something like a skatepark,” Llamas said.
Llamas said community members have repeatedly supported projects like housing, small businesses, and recreational spaces.
Vang said she hopes the project returns for a council vote later this year so the city can move forward with a clear plan.
“My hope is that we honor the community's work and we bring this item back as an action item at least to adopt the guiding principle so that as the mayor and myself and council move forward on this project It's truly guided by the community,” she said.
The site remains vacant for now, with no set timeline for when the city will move forward.
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