High-Rise Boom In Midtown Sacramento?
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - There's a new fight in Midtown Sacramento over a building slated to be the tallest in midtown.
A group called Sacramentans for Fair Planning is suing the developers of the Yamanee Project on 25th and J streets, claiming a 15-story high-rise building's surpasses height restrictions.
Developers tell CBS13 they plan on pursuing the building unless opponents successfully file an injunction.
The project is one example of the changing face of Midtown. It is the first approved high-rise in the area. Developers say it would bring a much-needed change to an already changing city.
But opponents would rather keep that change Downtown.
From the restored governor's mansion to old Victorian homes, to new urban apartments, it's the changing face of Midtown as Wayne Edfords sees through his smartphone camera lens.
"A second life opens up," Edfors says.
Edfors began chronicling the construction on the grid since the Golden 1 Center began taking shape.
"Sacramento, the region...is a destination now… there's a resurgence of eating, drinking, dining, culture-art museums -- things you can walk to," he says.
He's now focused on the tall building and restaurant boom farther up J Street.
The latest approved project is slated to be the tallest in Midtown. The Yamanee Building on 25th and J streets will include 15 stories of business, condos, and underground parking. That is unless neighbors like Marilynn Star have their way.
"We just don't think it fits into this neighborhood; it's way over scale," says Star.
Opponents have filed a lawsuit to stop the Yamanee Building from being built. They claim it's too tall and violates city zoning codes.
Many business owners disagree.
"It's going to be a beautiful building," says Suleka Sun-Lindley, the owner of Thai Basil restaurant.
Sun-Lindley says businesses have long craved change, and locals need to keep up with the growth. For Edfors, it's the Victorian versus urban, which he sees it through a bright-colored -lens.
"You can keep the facade and change the interior," he says.
What's Happening Next? The city says there's another high rise proposed for 19th and J streets. But so far, no construction has started on any high-rise in midtown.