new restaurants and hotels

New restaurants & hotels headed this way

July 16, 2008

English-style pub and a sushi restaurant head for Southport; city eyes a new hotel partnership in prime riverfront project

By Steve Marschke

News-Ledger Editor

West Sacramento may soon experience a “mini-boom” of hotel construction and chain restaurants. Three more chain hotels are in the works for the city’s west side, and redevelopment officials hope to help finance a higher-end hotel project along the river.

The city’s West Capitol Avenue was once a thriving strip of characterful, independent motels geared towards the east-west traveler. When the new Pioneer Bridge was built to take U.S. 50 over the river, though, travelers all but stopped using West Capitol. Many of the old motels fell by the wayside, others struggled and became havens for prostitution or opportunities for last-chance housing.

A few soldiered on – with some of the independents appearing to prosper in the current days.

Meanwhile, interest in the city from “chain” hotels was meager. A Motel 6 has long been a fixture near the freeway and Harbor Boulevard, and a neighboring hotel built in the 1990s is now a Ramada Inn.

This decade has seen construction of a Holiday Inn Express on Evergreen Avenue, north of U.S. 50, and an Extended StayAmerica near I-80 and Stillwater Road. Other new chains may soon be up and running.

“There’s the Hampton Inn under construction on Stillwater,” said David Tilley, a planner for the city. “The Hampton is part of the Hilton chain, so it’s more than a budget motel. It’s under construction now and will open hopefully by the end of the year.” The Hampton will offer 110 rooms.

And there’s a 76-room Hawthorn Suites (another “extended stay” brand) in the works for the west end of West Capitol. The brand is part of the Hyatt family.

A 63-room La Quinta Inn has been approved by the planning commission for Lake Road, near Enterprise Blvd. and U.S. 50 as well.

The city hopes to help bring a higher-star hotel to the other end of town, along the Sacramento River. The West Sacramento Redevelopment hopes to finance up to $250 million with bonds to build a publicly financed and operated hotel similar to the workings of Sacramento’s Sheraton Grand.

The new hotel would go on about five acres just south of the “ziggurat” building, on the “River One” property. Panattoni Development Company has an option to buy the property, could house a hotel, condominiums, offices and other uses.

The city does not expect to need the full $250 million that it is seeking approval to generate. If the project goes forward, the city would look for a hotel partner.

West Sacramento is also seeing some new restaurants on the horizon, including an English-style pub restaurant in Southport.

Planner David Tilley reports that the “Streets of London” pub, a “Panda Express” and a “Tsuki Sushi” restaurant are under construction at Westbridge Plaza, near Lowe’s on Lake Washington Boulevard.

A second West Sacramento Taco Bell is planned for Riverpoint Marketplace, near Home Depot and Walmart. So is an “In N Out” hamburger stand. A “Ruby Tuesday” restaurant is being negotiated for the Riverpoint center as well – but no application has been received for it by the city, said Tilley.

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