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Citrus Heights Messenger

Transforming Sunrise

Feb 27, 2020 12:00AM ● By Story and photos by Shaunna Boyd

More than 300 people attended the Sunrise Mall Community Vision Workshop to share their ideas for transforming the property into a thriving center for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

Transforming Sunrise [3 Images] Click Any Image To Expand

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The City of Citrus Heights is drafting a Sunrise Mall Specific Plan that will help guide redevelopment of the property. To create this new vision for the space, the City hosted a Community Vision Workshop on February 11, to get public input about the revitalization.

The workshop was held in the old Sears building at the mall, transforming a vacant retail space into a busy and bustling community center for an evening of high public engagement. Citrus Heights communications officer Nichole Baxter said, “We had about 300 people in attendance, which exceeded RSVP expectations and was truly exciting.” So many people attended that the City was scrambling to find more chairs to accommodate the crowd.

Councilmember Jeannie Bruins said that the Sunrise Mall means a lot to the Citrus Heights community and to those in surrounding communities. She was excited to see how many Citrus Heights residents attended the workshop, stating, “I shouldn’t be surprised because probably the number one question I get is, ‘What’s going to happen to the mall?’ So, I’m very happy to see the community engaging at this level.”

The workshop opened with a detailed information session explaining the need for the Sunrise Mall Specific Plan. The 100-acre property (approximately the size of 75 football fields) is vital to the city, but it is not currently being used to its full potential. Retail is changing. Many people now shop online, and that change has significantly impacted the mall. Visitors to the mall have declined by 44% since 2008, and 40% of the mall is currently vacant. Revitalizing the mall offers an opportunity for Citrus Heights to move forward with the changing trends, instead of being left behind.

The City wants to transform Sunrise Mall to create a true downtown experience. They asked attendees to work together in groups to design vision boards for the mall property. Baxter said there were common themes that emerged from the vision boards: “We noted a lot of people want to transform the Sunrise Mall site into a place where they can continue to shop, but also gather as a community and live, work, and play.”

Attendees were asked about their favorite place and what makes those places special. Citrus Heights economic development and communications manager Meghan Huber said the City wants to “identify those themes that we want to pull through to a place like Sunrise Mall. … Folks have great ideas and we’re really looking forward to see what comes of it.”

Residents expressed the need for a community gathering place with a variety of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. They suggested a bowling alley, movie theaters, kids’ play areas, concerts, and special events. Design and image are also important components of the revitalization, and residents want the mall to feature art, fountains, green spaces, and open pavilions. Many in the crowd cheered at the idea of a hotel at the Sunrise Mall, but suggestions of office and residential spaces got a negative reaction from the crowd.

The City is also engaging with the mall owners on the Specific Plan. The owners are open to various redevelopment possibilities as long as the changes are based on feasibility and public demand. Baxter said that the Specific Plan will be guided by a “deep-dive market analysis” and “analysis of all stakeholder and community feedback.”

Another community workshop is planned for this summer, and residents can always engage in the process and submit ideas through the website, www.SunriseTomorrow.net.