Sacramento Airport Considering Developments Near Interstate 5
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento International Airport is looking to develop two pieces of land straddling Interstate 5.
It's 30 acres in what's known as the south district and 98 acres in what they call the amenities district.
Airport spokesperson Laurie Slothower says they're looking for bids from developers that will create a mixed-use development featuring retail, travel and hospitality space.
"We're looking for everything from a pet hotel, to fast casual dining, to a gas station to a strip mall, to meeting and conference centers," Slothower said.
Slothower says they're asking developers to include a cell phone parking lot where customers can grab a bite to eat while they wait to pick up passengers, and a travel plaza which would offer food, gas and other services for vehicles.
The goal they say is to bring amenities to customers who are already on airport property, and if that includes a hotel, all the better, but a hotel is not a deal breaker.
"A hotel isn't really the focus. If one comes along that would be great, but we think there are a lot of businesses that would do very well in this I-5 corridor" Slothower said.
"We're pretty open to just about anything as long as it's consistent with the airport master plan and we think our customers would use and enjoy it."
The airport has gone down the hotel road twice before. Once after the original on-site hotel was demolished in 2008 to make way for Terminal B, and again in 2015 with a proposed 130-room Hyatt Place hotel. Both projects fell through.
"There's really no connection between the proposal that we have out now and previous efforts," she said
Developer Pete Noack has his hands full completing the New Marshall Hotel Hyatt Centric downtown but is crunching the numbers on the airport project. The biggest challenge he says is finding construction financing but says it could be a great opportunity.
"We have a successful airport with increasing numbers; it's looking good. Every airport has hotels right within them. Somebody has to get comfortable with the risk and just do it," Noack said.
Prospective developers must attend a mandatory pre-proposal meeting at Airport Terminal B Administration Meeting Room on April 18th, and bids are due May 23 by 2 p.m.