Big changes are coming to Old Town Elk Grove: A brewery, concert space and more
Old Town Elk Grove these days is a busy place.
Workers are nearing the home stretch on the half-block long open-air pavilion that will be the centerpiece of the city’s new Old Town Plaza, a welcoming front door to what planners envision as a community gathering place. Construction is expected to wrap at the end of the month. A grand opening is on the calendar for late July.
Yet more work continues a short jog away on Railroad Street, where popular Turlock brewer Dust Bowl Brewing Co., is converting a century-old former wine grape warehouse at 9676 Railroad St. into a new taproom and restaurant in time for a planned fall opening.
This growing city’s historic center is busy, but the work here is decades in the making.
On Thursday, Elk Grove residents will weigh in on where that work should lead. The city of Elk Grove hosts a virtual community workshop from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m, to update the historic district’s special planning area.
Find information on how to participate at: elkgrovecity.org/oldtowninput
A promotional video on the city’s website asks residents: “What’s your vision for Old Town?”
“It’s an opportunity to revisit the vision for Old Town,” Christopher Jordan, Elk Grove’s strategic planning director, said. “Old Town is the historical center of the city and now there’s this momentum — there is this energy to be in Old Town, in an authentic part of our community.”
There’s a lot to consider: Should there be more places to gather? Should there be more mixed-use development?
Old Town’s surrounding neighborhoods will be heard on how to develop the historic district in a way that respects its history and culture.
How can the city make Old Town more walkable and bikeable? How can the city enhance its identity?
And, with that energy comes the real-life issues that can bedevil neighborhoods.
Residents ask, “What are we doing with noise issues and parking?” Jordan said. “We want to have honest conversations about Old Town and what is the corollary that has to go with that? These are the solutions we need to be working on.”
A post-workshop pop up event will be Aug. 4 at Old Town Plaza’s Food Truck Mania event to review residents’ ideas on what the city calls the district’s “vision and guiding principles.”
The special planning area was created in 1985 by Sacramento County to protect and preserve the more than 40 buildings that form the district and date back to the 1800s. It also established zoning regulations and design standards, along with a public review process guiding new development. The city has updated and amended the plan at various times since 2005. The latest amendment was approved in 2019.
Even a pandemic couldn’t stop the population and housing boom in this Sacramento suburb
Meantime, work on Old Town Plaza and adjacent Railroad Street are nearly complete, say city officials. The plaza will have some 25,000 square feet of walkways and a performance stage that will host small-scale concerts and other events like August’s Food Truck Mania.
Much of the work on Railroad Street is underground — sewer, drainage, gas and electrical, telecommunications and other infrastructure — to support the incoming Dust Bowl taproom and future development.
Bike lanes, sidewalks and parking round out the improvements along with a city proving ground — a parking lot where a topical sealant will be applied to its surface to test pavement cooling technologies.
Jordan sees Old Town as both a gathering spot and jumping off point in a city on something of a roll and eager to move past a pandemic 2020.
“Old Town is an evolving story since its founding more than 100 years ago and it’s incredible to see,” Jordan said. “We hope we can continue to see reinvestment in the corridor to enhance and create a more delightful experience. What’s the playbook for that?”
