They're Clicking Right Along: Hundreds of Ideas for Sunrise Mall
Feb 05, 2020 12:00AM ● By By Nichole Baxter, City of Citrus Heights
Jaymes Dunsmore, planner and urban designer with Gensler, speaking to Sawgrass Circle residents about the Sunrise Tomorrow project (January 7, 2020). Photo: City of Citrus Heights
CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The City of Citrus Heights is on schedule with its steps to create a Specific Plan for Sunrise Mall, to define a vision for future redevelopment of the site. City leaders, along with members of the architecture and planning firm Gensler, met with mall owners and community stakeholders from January 7-9, to collect feedback and ideas.
On January 8, the City launched the community-facing website for the Specific Plan (SunriseTomorrow.net) and unveiled the project’s name and slogan: Sunrise Tomorrow — Reimagine the Heart of Citrus Heights.
“We launched the website and community engagement started pouring in right away,” said Meghan Huber, Economic Development and Communications Manager for the City. “In less than 24 hours we had hundreds of visits to the website and about 75 people sign up to receive email updates or attend the community event.”
Community enthusiasm was expected, as Sunrise Mall has been steadily experiencing decline in occupancy for the last 15 years, and many hope to see it return as a hub for gathering. However, the levels of engagement the City is seeing exceeds what they had hoped for.
“So far the website has had nearly 2,600 site visits, and we have 70 posts on the Idea Wall with 500 up- and down-votes,” reported Jordan Butler, the design strategist for Gensler and moderator of the website. “This level of engagement really speaks to the sense of pride people have in their Citrus Heights community. It is clear residents want Sunrise Mall to continue to be a destination where families gather and businesses thrive.”
Combined, the City has already collected hundreds of ideas to compile into its Specific Plan, which will comprehensively guide future development of the Sunrise Mall property. Over the 20-month Specific Plan period, staff are hoping to engage thousands of residents. In addition to collecting ideas on SunriseTomorrow.net, the City is inviting community members to attend a “Vision Workshop,” with interactive stations and information sharing, on February 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the former Sears location at the Sunrise Mall.