Category: Business

By Mike Hazlip—
Business owners and representatives from the Auburn Boulevard Business Association (ABBA) on Tuesday heard from a number of city officials addressing questions and concerns about revitalizing the high-traffic corridor.

Mayor Porsche Middleton told attendees the city would like to see the Auburn Boulevard corridor become “a destination” rather than just a thoroughfare for commuters, and recently hired City Manager Ashley Feeney said revitalization of the corridor is a priority for the City Council.

“Seeing what’s going on in the boulevard here, I’m sure that all the construction activity when it’s going on is challenging for business and property owners,” he told the group on Tuesday, referencing the city’s long-anticipated second phase of street improvements on the boulevard. “But I think at the end of the day it really does greatly improve that public realm where you can see investment.”

General Services Director Regina Cave told the group about 90% of the civil engineering ground work is complete for the city’s second phase of revitalization. Once complete, the city aims to submit the plans to CalTrans for approval by late 2022 or early 2023, Cave said.

The project will be a continuation of the first phase of work, which was completed in 2014 and extended from Sylvan Corners to Rusch Park. The second phase will extend the project to the Roseville border and will include undergrounding of overhead utility lines, installation of bike lanes and wider sidewalks, upgrading signals, adding decorative street lighting, planting of new landscaping and trees, adding center medians, upgrading storm drains, roadway resurfacing, enhanced transit stops and a new gateway sign over the boulevard.

The mix of federal and state funding for the $22-plus million project makes the approval process more complex, according to Cave. The city hopes to award the contract and begin work in 2023.

City staff also outlined progress with other development projects and grant opportunities targeted at improving Auburn Boulevard and businesses across the city.

Sylvan Corners
Huber said the city is still entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Woodside Homes for the 11-acre, currently vacant property at Sylvan Corners. The Sentinel previously reported soil contamination associated with the former middle school was found during a Phase II environmental report conducted by Woodside Homes.

The matter is “nothing to worry about,” Huber said, noting the sale agreement is still in process.

Former Movie Grill Building
Huber said the new owner of the half-completed former Studio Movie Grill building, Arizona-based real estate investment trust Store Capital, understands the value of the asset and the city is working with them “very closely” to find a new user. She said staff are having “weekly, if not daily,” conversations about the site.

“What I want this group to know is that is our number one priority site for us along the boulevard. We know it’s highly visible, both from our boulevard and from the freeway,” Huber said. “You all work so hard to elevate our boulevard and we want to make sure the rest do their part as well.”

Retail to Rooftops Program
Huber also outlined another grant program aimed at property owners along the Auburn Boulevard corridor, billed as “Retail to Rooftops.” She said the grant provides policy and incentive for property owners along the boulevard to convert commercial real estate into housing.

Activate Auburn
A third program available to business and property owners along Auburn Boulevard provides complementary exterior design services and 50% matching dollars to complete the work. A number of businesses along Auburn Boulevard have taken advantage of the program, including Crepes and Burgers, Just Tea It, and Lilliput Families.

COVID Recovery Grant
The city has also begun receiving applications from local businesses for a newly launched small business recovery program, with $320,000 coming from American Rescue Plan Act funds to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Any commercial business located and licensed in Citrus Heights and operating in 2019 with annual revenues of $3 million or less for that year is eligible. Businesses are required to show a net revenue loss of at least 25% for 2020 or 2021 compared to 2019. Additional requirements can be found on the city’s website.

Tuesday’s meeting was held at Runs With Scissors Quilt Shop on Auburn Boulevard, and was the monthly meeting for the boulevard association. Food and beverages for the event were provided by local businesses, according to ABBA President Rich Hale.

By Mike Hazlip—
Records show the Tokyo Buffet building at 7217 Greenback Ln., which has been shuttered since a fire occurred at the site in 2019, has a new owner.

Sacramento County Assessor data shows a transfer of ownership for the property on December 2, 2021. Citrus Heights Communications Officer Nichole Baxter confirmed the site was purchased in 2021 by Kobe Hibachi and Sushi Incorporated based in Lincoln, California. The previous owner was Milpitas-based Gosing LLC.

The sale price was $1.8 million, according to information published by RealtyTrac.

Public records from the City of Lincoln list a Kobe Hibachi and Sushi Inc. at 131 Ferrari Ranch Rd. with an active business license. An employee at the restaurant did not have information about the purchase of the buffet property in Citrus Heights, and said the owner was not available when Sentinel staff called the restaurant Saturday.

Baxter said the new owner has not contacted the city about plans or future uses.

Tokyo Buffet has been closed since a kitchen fire damaged the restaurant in August of 2019. Metro Fire Capt. Chris Vestal, told The Sentinel at the time the likely cause of the fire was a general failure of the restaurant’s kitchen hood fire extinguishing system. The system was inoperable at the time of the fire, he said.

According to Metro Fire, the blaze caused damage to the restaurant’s heating, ventilation and cooling system. No estimation of the total amount of damage was available.

The fire occurred during business hours and all patrons were safely evacuated.

By Mike Hazlip—
Kelsee’s Purse thrift shop, which had initially closed its doors for good in January but announced plans to reopen in February, announced its new business hours this week and confirmed it is still open and “still helping the community.”

In an initial announcement of reopening on Feb. 4, the thrift shop said new hours would be forthcoming. Operating hours are now Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. The business is closed Sundays and Mondays.

The shop is located at 7044 Sunrise Blvd., in the Copperwood Square shopping plaza.

Kelsee’s Purse owner Ildiko Carpenter previously told The Sentinel she was able to come to an agreement with the landlord that will allow the business to stay. Carpenter said she could not give any details of the new terms, but Kelsee’s Purse will continue to operate at the same location with a new focus on furniture.

Copperwood Square is managed by San Diego-based Strategic Asset Management Group. Carpenter told The Sentinel previously the company has been understanding with COVID-related loss of income, but she has not seen the same attention with the recent maintenance issues.

A spokesman for Strategic Asset Management Group, Dan Chiavario, told The Sentinel previously the company works to correct any problems related to maintenance and repairs.

By Mike Hazlip—
Over the years, motorists traveling along Auburn Boulevard have likely noticed an older building with painted boards over its windows next to Riebes Auto Parts.

So what’s the story behind the building?

According to Sacramento County assessor records, the 1,973-square-foot structure was built in 1950, while the adjacent 10,650-square-foot commercial building housing Riebes Auto Parts was built in 1967.

While the building appears unused on the outside, but the structure at 8224 Auburn Blvd. is currently being used as a storage facility for the auto parts store next door, according to an employee of the business and a nearby business owner. Behind the structure is a second location for A&A Stepping Stone.

As for the building’s prior use, Citrus Heights historian Larry Fritz told The Sentinel that the address is listed in a 1960 Polk Directory as a “Home Barber Shop” and the residence of “Merrill B. and Mildred Harper.”

The building was also home to a number of other businesses over the years, according to Fritz, but the names of prior establishments were not able to be confirmed by The Sentinel.

Got a question about Citrus Heights you’ve always wanted an answer for? Click here to submit a question for consideration in a future Q&A article. See other recent articles below:

• Q&A: Is there an exemption to fee hike for residents who compost?
• Q&A: What’s with the partially finished fence on Greenback?

Sentinel staff report–
An expansive senior housing complex on Auburn Boulevard has been sold for $54 million, according to a report last month by the Sacramento Business Journal.

Arcade Creek Manor, located at 6546 Auburn Blvd., is a 15-acre housing community with 292 units. The sale price equates to about $185,000 per unit, which is significantly less than the $292,000 price per unit of the 410-unit Autumn Ridge Apartments, which sold last year for $120 million.

From last year: Massive 410-unit apartment complex in Citrus Heights sells for $120M

According to The Journal, Arcade Creek Manor was built in 1973 and had been under the same ownership for nearly 50 years. The new owner appears to be 29th Street Capital.

The website for Arcade Creek Manor shows floor plans range from $1,300 per month for a 506-square-foot studio unit to $1,650 per month for a 743-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment. Amenities listed include a pool, nearby walking paths, outdoor seating and expansive landscaping.

Another complex, The Woods, sold last year for $25 million near Stones Gambling Hall. With 124 units, the price per unit averaged $204,000, with slightly larger floor plans ranging from 650 to 900 square feet.