New Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce members include Primerica and Aishas Hair Salon. 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - The Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon March 18, sponsored by Atlas Disposal, focused on the transformation of the Sunrise MarketPlace and the efforts to make it a vibrant, safe and attractive destination.

Guest speaker Kathilynn Carpenter, the Sunrise MarketPlace executive director, has been instrumental in the development of the district, which encompasses a 10-block area along Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane. This area is home to hundreds of stores, restaurants, and services, including notable establishments such as Sunrise Mall, Lowe’s and Target.

“Kathilynn assisted in the formation of the Sunrise MarketPlace Business Improvement District and has served as its executive director since 1999,” said Sheri Merrick, the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce executive director. “Kathilynn has also been a past board member and chair of our chamber.”

Carpenter’s presentation focused on the evolution of Sunrise MarketPlace, from its early days when the city first incorporated to its current status as a thriving commercial center.

“I came here when the city was first incorporating, and one of the smartest things they did, and most beneficial, was decide they wanted to form a business improvement district,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter shared how the goal was always to create a destination that would attract people to the area.

“We wanted to create a sense of place,” she said. “Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane are a means to an end. We wanted to do something that would make people slow down and hang out at.”

One of the district’s first initiatives, Carpenter said, was the beautification of the area through palm trees, destination signage and floral arrangements.

“With a grant, that money was used to put in palm trees, banners, flowers and more,” Carpenter said.

 

From left are Sunrise MarketPlace marketing assistant and social media manager Mikhaila Freas, Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter, Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sheri Merrick and Marketing and Special Events Director Lisa Cordell.

More recently, Sunrise MarketPlace has partnered with SMUD to create colorful, wrapped transformers around the area.

Carpenter also spoke about the importance of community events in fostering a sense of place.

“We have special events like movie nights, a night market, magic shows and even a laser light show,” Carpenter said.

Upcoming events include the Backyard Bash on May 31.

In addition to building a sense of community, Sunrise MarketPlace has placed significant focus on maintaining a clean, safe environment. Carpenter highlighted the district’s security efforts, particularly the hiring of private security in response to rising incidents of shoplifting and vandalism.

“We started this in 2020 when we saw an uptick in crime,” Carpenter said. “We contracted for our own police officers dedicated to the district and supplemented that with private security.”

Although the grant funding for police officers has ended, Sunrise MarketPlace continues to collaborate with private security and the Citrus Heights Police Department to keep the area safe.

“We’re out there on the front lines, preventing and mitigating problems,” Carpenter said.

NorCal Security provides armed guards to patrol the district seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An additional overnight security program was implemented last year to address issues such as tagging and illegal dumping.

“We’ve even added a porter service through City Wide Property Services to ensure the district stays clean. They remove trash, graffiti, and illegally dumped items,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter mentioned several exciting new businesses coming to Citrus Heights, including Nothing Bundt Cakes, Pinkberry and Juice Time, all located in Sunrise Village. She also highlighted the upcoming arrival of a new restaurant, although details remain under wraps for now.