In his final State of the City Address on Thursday, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg reflected on a range of issues and projects he prioritized over the past eight years, from reducing homelessness to promoting the forthcoming UC Davis Aggie Square science and tech hub.
Unlike recent State of the City events, Steinberg didn’t announce any new proposals, but said he’s working on major downtown initiatives before leaving office in December.
The mayor said he chose the construction site of Aggie Square in Oak Park because he sees it as an example of collaboration between opposing groups and economic development in underserved neighborhoods.
“I’ve always believed that civility is not a weakness,” Steinberg said. “We can be tough on the issues and easier on the people who see it differently. Here at Aggie Square, real conflict did not end with dysfunction, it ended with victory.”
The city and UC Davis settled lawsuits filed against the project, including one by the community group Sacramento Investment Without Displacement, by making commitments in a community benefits partnership agreement. Requirements include funding housing assistance and anti-displacement programs to help prevent Aggie Square and related real estate cost increases from pricing people out of their homes.
Michael Blair, Vice President of the Oak Park Neighborhood Association, was involved in drafting the agreement. Blair said he agreed with Steinberg that other cities should bring community members to the table to discuss development projects.
“It makes the whole process go smoother because there’s no backlash, no infighting,” Blair said. “Instead it’s all inclusive, they can work together and really build something where everyone’s involved and everyone’s putting their all into it.”
In his speech, Steinberg also recalled how he singled out homelessness as the focus of his campaign for mayor in 2016. He said he never promised to solve it, but pointed out he played a role in opening hundreds of new shelter beds in the city.
Among other proposals, Steinberg referenced the former comprehensive siting plan, which resulted in far fewer than 20 new temporary and permanent housing sites. He said his homeless efforts weren’t perfectly implemented.
“But think about how many people have been helped,” Steinberg said. “Think about how much worse it could have been if we had not said yes we can, yes we must.”
Steinberg touted a recent report finding the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the county dropped by 41% over the past two years. Robert Heidt, the president and CEO of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, said while significant progress on homelessness in the city has been made, there’s still a long way to go.
“We need a strong, safe, clean downtown and core,” Heidt said. “That’s going to be something we’re going to have to continue to take.”
Heidt added the chamber is aware of the downtown initiatives the mayor teased in his address, but said he will let Steinberg and others make the announcement. In a recent City Council meeting, the mayor said he plans to bring forward a proposal to revitalize the Old Sacramento Waterfront.
The council approved funding to renovate the waterfront in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the plan. Voters in November 2022 passed a measure allowing the city to spend hotel tax revenue on a wider variety of tourism-related development projects.
Steinberg has just over two months left in his second term as mayor. Either state Assembly member Kevin McCarty or epidemiologist Dr. Flo Cofer will replace him, depending on the results of the November election.
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