Developer Connections Second Quarter 2018

Sutter Park Development

Site plan and aerial image of project

Once known as a landmark hospital for over 75 years, the former Sutter Memorial Hospital has been demolished, making way for a new mixed-use infill development. The hospital closed in 2015 and transitioned its services to an expanded midtown Medical Center.

Stonebridge Properties has commenced work on the 20-acre site in East Sacramento near 53^rd and F Streets. The planned unit development will construct up to 125 single-family homes and a mixed-use building. The decommissioning and ultimate demolition of the former hospital was completed last summer, giving way for grading and on site improvements.

The Stonebridge team took extra steps in community outreach in their planning process to gather neighborhood input on the conceptual master plan, and to ensure the development reflects the historic look of the current neighborhood. Current plans for Sutter Park include open space, a 0.6 acre park with public art displays and walking trails to enhance its recreational space and infill amenities. Homes will feature classic architectural styles, from traditional park homes, row homes and cottages, to mixed-use housing on top of retail.  By summer 2018, Stonebridge anticipates having its builder selected and home construction to commence this fall, with homes coming online in spring 2019.
 

SMUD has been working with Stonebridge Properties and City of Sacramento staff in undergrounding existing electrical facilities along F Street in coordination with other utilities.           

Stonebridge Properties is a subsidiary of Teichert and is currently pursuing other development projects in Sacramento, Folsom, Truckee and the West Jackson Highway master plan. It assisted SMUD in initial due-diligence regarding conceptual reuse of SMUD’s former corporation yard at 59th Street.

Electrification

A less expensive, faster and a more environmentally friendly approach to construction is now available and it’s not a new widget or an expensive rating system. Building electrification, also known as building decarbonization, is the process of strategically eliminating fossil fuels from buildings. Natural gas used to be considered the clean fuel that was hailed as a “bridge fuel” to transition the grid away from coal.  Now, we are nearing the end of that bridge as the electric grid becomes cleaner and the need for gas infrastructure in our buildings is passing. 

Electricity, with SMUD supplying more than 50% of its power from carbon free resources, is not only cleaner than burning fossil fuels, it lowers operating costs. SMUD is well known for its low electricity rates, energy innovation, pioneering incentive programs and now electrification. Electrification of buildings will become more prominent with each passing energy code. Not only will the building be less expensive to operate, but during construction, there will be one less utility infrastructure to plan, coordinate and install. And, there will be fewer inspections and corrections. This all leads to making buildings that will be faster to complete, cheaper to build and less expensive to operate.

Photo courtesy of Architectural Nexus, who committed to making their office space a Certified Living Building in 2015. 

Most of the emissions that come from buildings today are from space heating and water heating. Space heating is by far the largest contributor in Sacramento, where buildings use more heating energy than any other end use – even air conditioning. The technology at hand to make this transition to all-electric buildings principally relies upon heat pumps. A heat pump uses the same technology found in air conditioners and refrigerators. This technology has improved substantially over the past decade to where they are three times more efficient than their gas counterparts. 

Developers, architects, contractors and other practitioners in the construction industry have the ability to influence our environment one building at a time. Your clients, future occupants of the building you construct and society as a whole will reward those that embrace all-electric buildings. Contact SMUD's Gary Becker at 1-916-732-6427 to find out how your next project might qualify for electrification incentives. 

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