Business Journal: Kaiser Closer To Buying Railyards Property, McClatchy Moves, Flatstick Pub To Open

Construction of New Railyards Kaiser Hospital May Be Costlier Than Expected

It looks like momentum is picking up on Kaiser Permanente's plan to build a new hospital near downtown Sacramento at the Railyards. Kaiser is expected to complete its purchase of the Railyards site next month. The Sacramento Business Journal's Digital Editor Sonya Sorich said construction costs could be higher than expected.

"New documents suggest the first phase of the project will cost $749.5 million. Previous estimates put the whole project at about $1 billion," Sorich said.

Plans call for the 14-story hospital to include 420 beds as well as a large medical office. The new facility would ultimately replace Kaiser's Morse Avenue hospital, which will eventually close because it won't be able to meet state earthquake standards by 2030. The new hospital has been called a flagship tenant at the planned Railyards development.

McClatchy Company Centralizing Jobs In North Carolina  

McClatchy, the Sacramento Bee's parent company, continues to cut costs and focus more on digital publishing and less on print. Sorich said McClatchy is consolidating the design and copy editing functions of its 30 newspapers throughout the U.S. into a central hub in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"We know that in the paper's West region, this will affect 30 people," Sorich said. "Those employees have been offered jobs in Charlotte and will also have the opportunity to work remotely. Workers who don't stay with the company will be offered voluntary separation packages."

With the move, the company hopes to see cost savings in the layout and production of its print product. McClatchy has cut staff in recent years — including workers at the Sacramento Bee — to reduce expenses. The company has struggled with a high debt load and declining print newspaper circulation.

Miniature Golf Restaurant Coming To Downtown Sacramento

A new restaurant is coming to downtown Sacramento that will mix food and drinks with miniature golf. Sorich said it's part of the restaurant world's current trend of "eater-tainment."

"That is combining food with entertainment to stay competitive and attract clients in a growing restaurant market and this seems to be an extension of that," Sorich said.

The restaurant is called Flatstick Pub and will take up part of the ground floor and the entire basement at 630 K Street, near Golden 1 Center. Craft brewery Ruhstaller previously had its tasting room in that basement. Flatstick could open in late spring of next year. The restaurant has three locations in the Seattle area too.