Investment and Revitalization Strategy for Sacramento County Commercial Corridors

Sacramento County was incorporated in 1850 as one of California's original 27 counties and is the economic center of California's Capital Region. With a population of approximately 1.6 million residents, it is one of the largest counties in California and includes seven incorporated cities as well as a substantial unincorporated area that is home to hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses. The City of Sacramento, California's state capital, serves as the region's governmental, cultural, and economic hub. Encompassing approximately 994 square miles, Sacramento County occupies a strategic location at the crossroads of Northern California's major transportation corridors, including Interstate 5, Interstate 80, and U.S. Highway 50. The County's economy is supported by a diverse mix of industries including government, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, food and agriculture, life sciences, clean technology, logistics, education, and professional services. The County's commercial corridors play a critical role in providing a range of housing options, supporting local businesses, providing neighborhood-serving goods and services, generating employment opportunities, and contributing to the economic vitality of surrounding communities. Many of these corridors developed decades ago and today face a variety of challenges, including aging infrastructure, changing retail and office market conditions, underutilized properties, fragmented ownership patterns, and increasing competition for attracting private investment. Sacramento County has long recognized the importance of investing in and revitalizing its commercial corridors. Over the past decade, the County has undertaken several planning, market analysis, and economic development initiatives to better understand corridor conditions and identify opportunities for reinvestment. Key efforts led by the Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Division of Planning and Environmental Review (PER) include: Smart Growth America Arden-Arcade Technical Assistance Report (2017) Retail Market and Redevelopment Analysis: Kosmont Report (2018) Real Estate and Housing Stock Analysis: Kidder Mathews Report (2019) Infill Program Update (2024) Economic Development Strategic Plan (2025) Sacramento County Business Districts: Strategic Analysis Sacramento County Business Districts: Economic Modeling The reports listed above, along with a map of the County's 15 commercial corridors, are included as supplemental background materials to this Request for Proposals. These efforts have consistently highlighted the importance of creating place-based strategies that strengthen commercial districts, attract private investment, support small businesses, introduce housing options, improve the built environment, and position corridors for long-term economic success. Despite these efforts, many commercial corridors continue to experience barriers to investment and redevelopment. Recognizing that each corridor has unique market conditions, opportunities, and challenges, the County seeks to develop a practical, implementation-focused Investment and Revitalization Strategy for its commercial corridors. The strategy will identify realistic opportunities for reinvestment, evaluate barriers to redevelopment, establish priorities for future County action, and provide a framework for directing public and private investment where it can have the greatest impact. The resulting strategy will provide Sacramento County with an actionable roadmap to support economic growth, strengthen neighborhood-serving commercial districts, enhance community vitality, and advance long-term fiscal sustainability throughout the unincorporated area.