CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The City of Citrus Heights is working on the Sunrise Mall Specific Plan to define a vision for future redevelopment of the site. Gensler, an international architecture firm that specializes in mall redevelopment, is leading the project. At a joint meeting of the Citrus Heights City Council and Planning Commission on March 12, Gensler representatives provided updates about the project and asked for input as the project moves forward.                                     

The project is nearing completion of the first phase, which has included physical site analysis, traffic analysis, market conditions analysis, mall owner engagement, and community engagement. After synthesizing the community input, some major themes emerged. Jordan Butler of Gensler said, “People are really drawn to open spaces that have a variety of retail and activities for people of all ages.”

Butler said the community’s top priorities included diverse retail and dining options, entertainment, events, and green spaces. “The community wants a new heart,” said Butler. “They’re looking for a place to gather.” Most of all, Butler said, “People want it to happen. They want it to be implementable. They want it to be feasible. They want a plan that actually can happen.”

Market analysis showed that people are increasingly interested in spending money on experiences. It also revealed a need for local luxury hotels, large office spaces, and additional housing. Gensler’s Project Manager Nate Cherry said, “Financial realism is going to be the bedrock of everything we do.”

Cherry explained that the market analysis and community engagement aligned, revealing planning principles to prioritize in the visioning process: central public space; mix of retail, dining, and entertainment; hotels; employment; housing; and neighborhood connections. Based on those guiding principles, Gensler designed three options — ranging from conservative to radical — for redesigning the property: Mall Refresh, 21^st Century Main Street, and Central Park.

Mall Refresh is a conservative option that adaptively reuses the site. The Refresh would keep the existing buildings of the mall but with major upgrades to the anchor stores and renovations to the central retail section. This would retain the retail core in the center of the property while also adding smaller retail spaces in the area along Sunrise Blvd. The retail core would be bookended with office spaces, and hotels would feature prominently at Sunrise and Greenback Blvd. and near Macy Plaza Dr. The east side of property would be residential with green space in the center. An event space would be located along Greenback.

The property owners have expressed concern that this option doesn’t increase the visibility and viability of the retail element. Cherry also asked, “Are we thinking big enough? Is it really that transformative? Are we doing enough to make this really become a new heart as the community imagines it?” He wondered if the Mall Refresh was just “doubling down on what you already have.”

Cherry presented the hybrid redevelopment option, 21^st Century Main Street, which keeps the anchor stores but demolishes the central retail stores for redesign. The redesigned central space would be a walkable outdoor area with a variety of smaller, diversified retail spaces; Cherry said, “The weather in California really lends itself to this approach.” This option has integrated green spaces throughout the site along with a major green space in the center of the property along Sunrise Blvd. This community gathering space right in the heart of the site would be an invitation into the new Town Square, acting as the “front door to the whole development,” said Cherry.

The Main Street option would feature offices on the Greenback side of the property and an entertainment space on the south side. Residential spaces would be located primarily along the east side, and there would be integrative pathways throughout the site. This plan offers a variety of opportunities for new retail and dining options and a prominent hotel along Sunrise Blvd.

The most radical option was Central Park, which would be a complete demolition and redevelopment of the site. This option shifts the focus of the space away from retail and would instead allow for a network of parks, offering the opportunity to create amenities such as sports fields, an amusement park, a recreation center, and a major event space. The large green space in the center would be surrounded by neighborhood retail along Greenback, offices on the corners of the property, residential space to the east, and a hotel along Sunrise. Cherry said that the Central Park option would require “really taking a leap of faith.”

Mayor Jeff Slowey said that the Mall Refresh didn’t feel like a bold enough option and that Central Park was maybe “just too grand.” He said, “I love option two because it accomplishes just about everything we asked. Main Street has the most potential because I think it meets a happy medium between the owners and what other people want.”

Councilmember Bret Daniels agreed that 21^st Century Main Street was the preferred option: “It must have some sort of entertainment center … it must have a hotel, and it just has to have the ability to create unique destination features. So, it looks like it’s there; it looks like it’s moving in the right direction.” Daniels especially likes the green space planned along Sunrise: “That’s where the wow factor needs to be.”

Councilmember Jeannie Bruins agreed that “having the green area along Sunrise is a must.” She also likes the Main Street option but said she’d like to see some elements of Central Park incorporated as well: “I think we’ve got the ability to take prudent risks that will make this a showpiece center for generations to come.”

Planning Commission Chair Tim Schaefer posed the question of what the three options would look like throughout the year: “I think 21^st Century Main Street has a real festive feel about it and it is something that really could be a pretty huge draw during the holidays.”

Members of the City Council and the Planning Commission all agreed that Gensler should move forward with refining the 21^st Century Main Street as the template for the Sunrise Mall Specific Plan.