special supplement
A
lthough Old Town Elk Grove is
only a 1-mile stretch of a city that
sprawls over 42 square miles, its
historical architecture and 19th-
century charm is a focal point that’s at-
tracting new development and curious
entrepreneurs.
It’s an area of contrasts, with con-
temporary businesses occupying vin-
tage wood structures that date to the
1870s. But the goal is to transform it
into a dining, sipping and entertain-
ment destination while preserving its
historical integrity.
“We appreciate its heritage,” says
Rachael Brown, the city’s economic de-
velopment manager. “There is so much
potential down here.”
Elk Grove began as a stagecoach stop
in 1850 and relocated a mile east a few
years later. The town grew, but the arriv-
al of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1868
inspired the townsfolk to move again to
capitalize on the commerce the railroad
brought. Soon, a rush of businesses joined
the ornate Victorian- and Italianate-style
residences along old Main Street.
A fire in 1892 devastated all but two
of the buildings, and most were rebuilt or
refurbished by 1930. Today’s Old Town is
an east-west portion of Elk Grove Boule-
vard (aka Main Street and the Boulevard)
between Elk Grove-Florin and Waterman
roads, listed on the National Register of
Historic Places.
And there is still rebuilding and devel-
opment happening. The Railroad Street
Project is the largest in the works: a three-
phase $20.6 million venture by D&S De-
velopment of Sacramento, scheduled to
break ground this summer near Old Town
Plaza, a city-owned outdoor entertain-
ment venue.
D&S, which specializes in the acqui-
sition and rehab of historical properties,
will transform a pair of long-neglected
two-story red-brick buildings into dining
and entertainment venues.
One of the buildings is a former win-
ery from 1900, and Sara Lebastchi, direc-
tor of operations for D&S, says, “We’re
looking at a restaurant-bar concept [for
it] with a large patio and outdoor activ-
THE RAILROAD STREET PROJECT IS
THE LARGEST PROJECT IN THE WORKS
IN OLD TOWN ELK GROVE: A THREE-
PHASE $20.6 MILLION VENTURE BY
D&S DEVELOPMENT.
ities, a place for people to hang out.” It
could open as early as the end of the year.
The second, once a hops-storage
warehouse from 1903, “could be a wine-
bar event-space concept, maybe similar
to Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, but we’re
still working out preliminary ideas,” Leb-
astchi says. That space could open by
mid-2021.
“Elk Grove is growing, and there’s
a need for something to draw people to
Old Town,” she says. “The Railroad Street
Project can be a catalyst for that.”
D&S will use the vacant land between
the two structures for a three-story apart-
ment building, possibly with retail along
the ground level.
By the time the project is complete,
the city will have added $6.7 million in
improvements along Railroad Street, in-
cluding roadwork, parking and utilities
installation.
One conjoined piece of the Rail-
road Street Project is Old Town Plaza.
Though landscaping and restroom fa-
cility improvements have been made
over recent years, the final vision is
for a 9,000-square-foot pavilion with
outdoor seating, walkways and light-
ing at a cost to the city of an estimated
$6.27 million.
The hope is for the plaza to become
a major draw with regular special events.
It now hosts food-truck gatherings the
first Wednesday of each month, a farm-
ers market every Sunday and occasional
concerts. In April, the plaza was the site
of the sold-out Elk Grove Brewfest, which
brought in more than 500 people.
The city’s goal for Old Town aligns with
that of local businesses — draw more peo-
ple to Old Town. To accommodate them,
the city already has spent $6.3 million to
widen sidewalks and add crosswalks and
landscaping; the same will be done to the
eastern side starting next summer, ex-
pected to be completed by early 2021 for
$6.7 million.
“We want to create a continuous
walkable environment, which is a key
piece of Old Town’s revitalization,” says
Brown. Also essential is attracting new
businesses.
“We have recently received very pre-
liminary information about some exciting
new businesses that may open in Old
Town,” says Angela Perry, president of the
Old Town Elk Grove Foundation and pres-
ident and CEO of the Elk Grove Chamber
of Commerce. But she says they are still
tentative and details can’t be shared.
One potential concern for future busi-
nesses is Old Town’s vintage buildings.
Because the city has designated it a Spe-
cial Planning Area — with strict planning
guidelines to preserve historical integrity
— it can be challenging to make changes
to the structures.
To streamline the process, “Our
design guideline document is going
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