CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Back in 2017, the Sunrise MarketPlace Business Improvement District (BID) joined with Sunrise Mall on an ambitious idea to bring a variety of exciting events to the City of Citrus Heights. The plan was to develop a Pop-Up Stadium that would be located at Sunrise Mall and would generate business by attracting more visitors to the area for entertainment, cultural, and sporting events. The city approved the idea, and the project was granted $300,000 in Economic Development funding.

The stadium was originally scheduled to “pop up” in the spring of 2019. But unfortunately, Sunrise Mall recently canceled the plans for the Pop-Up Stadium. In an email, Kathilynn Carpenter, executive director of Sunrise MarketPlace BID, stated, “Sunrise Mall has recently advised us that, given the mall’s current state of affairs, they are unable to commit to the Pop-Up Stadium as originally planned.”

The terms of Sunrise Mall’s commitment to this project included providing the location for the stadium (the former tennis courts/concerts stadium area) through 2021 and annual contributions (in the form of cash as well as goods and services) for operations and programming.

Carpenter said, “As there is no comparable space (with existing electrical infrastructure, parking for event patrons, etc.) in the District, this decision effectively puts an end to the project.” Because Sunrise MarketPlace BID can no longer fulfill the terms of the grant agreement with the city, they have returned the $300,000 received in funding for this project.

At the time that Sunrise Mall withdrew from the agreement, Sunrise MarketPlace BID had spent less than $5,000 on the project, most of which was in staff time and production. So while the financial loss was not particularly significant, there were substantial time and resources output in the planning and preparation for the project.

When asked if Sunrise Mall has offered any further explanation for the current state of affairs that caused them to withdraw from the plan, Carpenter replied, “No, we have not received additional information from the mall. And, I don’t have any information on the current state of affairs.”  

Carpenter is confident that Sunrise Mall disclosed their intent to cancel the plans as soon as they could, stating, “I would assume the mall advised us of their inability to participate in the project as soon as they became aware of it.” So while it appears that Sunrise Mall entered into the plan in good faith and did not unnecessarily delay this revelation, they have yet to offer a more detailed explanation for canceling this potentially lucrative project that had so much support among local residents.

Spinoso Real Estate Group, which is based out of New York, acquired ownership of Sunrise Mall in 2015. Spinoso’s website showcases their decades of experience in mall acquisition, stating, “Through careful analysis, we can determine the strengths and weaknesses of a particular mall, as well as develop an achievable vision of what can be done to create value.” In an email to Spinoso, they were asked to offer a detailed explanation of why they backed out of the stadium plans, and if commitments to the Pop-Up Stadium project (such as the location and cash contributions) would have potentially interfered with future redevelopment plans. As of press time, Spinoso had not responded to the request for additional information. 

Now that the plans for the Pop-Up Stadium have been canceled, Carpenter was asked about the upcoming projects that Sunrise MarketPlace BID is pursuing. She replied, “We have focused aggressively on ‘turning the ship,’ so to speak, and working on new strategies for 2019. Three things already in the works will receive more funding and emphasis: Magical Moments holiday events, June 2019 BeefFest, and 20th Anniversary activities. We premiered Magical Moments in 2017; there will be four events around the district that invoke the magic of the holiday season, creating memories and traditions for our guests. The BeerFest will be a new event here in the District featuring specialty craft beer tasting, food, and entertainment. In 2019, we’ll be celebrating our 20th Anniversary with activities all year long, including new banners and Facebook giveaways.”

Although the cancelation of the Pop-Up Stadium is a disappointment, Sunrise MarketPlace BID is looking to the future and moving forward, implementing new and exciting projects in the area. Carpenter said, “Sunrise MarketPlace will continue to do what is has done for the past 19 years and strongly focus on improving the economic vitality of the district by driving traffic and generating positive awareness. We will continue to activate space in the district with special events and other activities. We will continue to focus on our mission of providing value and benefit to the properties with the BID.”