Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney (left) was the featured speaker at the Aug. 11 ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon where he participated in a question-and-answer discussion led by Chamber Executive Director Sheri Merrick.

 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Citrus Heights is positioning itself for a new phase of economic growth, with redevelopment at Sunrise Mall, new businesses, infrastructure investments and public safety improvements among the city’s priorities, according to City Manager Ash Feeney.

Feeney was the featured speaker at the Aug. 11 ACCESS Citrus Heights Luncheon at the Citrus Heights Event Center. The monthly gathering, hosted by the Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce, brought business and community leaders together for a question-and-answer discussion led by Chamber Executive Director Sheri Merrick. The city of Citrus Heights and Republic Services sponsored the luncheon, with lunch provided by Red Robin.

“We are a city on the move,” Feeney said, pointing to progress in economic development, infrastructure, community events and efforts to attract families and young people to Citrus Heights.

A major focus of the discussion was the long-awaited redevelopment of the Sunrise Mall property under the Sunrise Tomorrow specific plan.

Citrus Heights Chamber of Commerce ambassadors stand alongside new chamber members at the August ACCESS Luncheon on Aug. 11.

Feeney said Tallen Capital Partners CEO Terrence P. Tallen is leading redevelopment efforts and described the planned Sunrise Sports Complex as an important catalyst for the larger property. The sports complex is expected to occupy about 14 acres, leaving approximately 86 acres available for additional development.

“This type of development is how you get people back in the city,” Feeney said.

He also addressed concerns about how the sports complex would be financed. Feeney said bonds expected to cover roughly half of the project cost would be repaid through revenue generated by the project rather than the city’s general fund.

Merrick emphasized the distinction, saying community discussions have included confusion over whether residents’ tax dollars would be used to pay for the facility. She said events such as the ACCESS luncheon give business leaders an opportunity to hear directly from city officials and share accurate information.

“One of the reasons I love this event is that we educate those that are willing to attend,” said Merrick. “The more advocates that we can have out in our community, the better for our community as a whole.”

Development activity is also continuing outside the mall property.

Along Auburn Boulevard, Feeney highlighted several businesses and investments, including an ATV and e-bike retailer expected to open at Citrus Grove Town Center. He said the business fits an emerging outdoor recreation theme along the corridor, which already includes businesses connected to kayaking and fly-fishing.

Feeney also pointed to the recently opened food truck plaza as another type of economic opportunity, describing it as an incubator for entrepreneurs who may eventually move from operating food trucks to opening permanent restaurants.

The city’s financial position was another focus of the discussion. Feeney said Citrus Heights projects approximately $47.1 million in general fund revenue and $46.8 million in expenditures for the current fiscal year, allowing the city to contribute to reserves while continuing to monitor declining revenue trends affecting municipalities across California.

“We will continue to remain in a sound fiscal position,” Feeney said.

Residents, business owners and local leaders gathered at the Citrus Heights Event Center for the monthly ACCESS luncheon to hear the latest updates from Citrus Heights City Manager Ash Feeney.

Public safety remains another priority, particularly for businesses. Feeney said the city recorded its lowest crime rate since incorporation last year and credited focused policing strategies, staffing decisions and specialty units targeting problems including blight, retail crime and narcotics.

He pointed to a recent fentanyl seizure as an example of work being done by specialized investigators.

“There were enough doses to kill 3 million people,” said Feeney.

He also said coordinated efforts between police and city beautification crews have helped reduce large encampments, sidewalk debris and other visible blight.

Infrastructure investments are also occurring throughout Citrus Heights.

Feeney said work along Auburn Boulevard is nearing completion, with a ribbon-cutting planned for the end of the month. Residential resurfacing is underway across the city, and more than 100 streets are expected to be resurfaced this year. The city is also pursuing outside transportation funding, including a recommended grant of more than $1.9 million through the Sacramento Area Council of Governments’ active transportation program.

For businesses considering Citrus Heights, Feeney said the city’s approach is centered on helping projects move forward rather than creating unnecessary obstacles.

“We have a general philosophy of being facilitators, not regulators,” he said. “Time is money.”

Feeney credited partnerships with the Chamber, local businesses and community organizations as essential to the city’s progress and said those relationships help officials understand what businesses need.

When asked what he hopes the community will be discussing at next year’s luncheon, Feeney looked again to Sunrise Mall. Last year, he said, the goal was to reach an announcement showing tangible movement at the property.

That announcement came.

This year, Feeney said, the next milestone is clear.

“My goal will be at the end of the year that we’re talking about a construction schedule,” he said