Rendering of Staybridge housing project. / Kutchman Architects
BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz
Staybridge Suites in Natomas will be converted into a shelter for women with children and families experiencing homelessness.
Mayor Pro Tem Angelique Ashby announced the location of the planned hotel conversion project during a special Sacramento City Council meeting tonight about the city’s Homeless Master Siting Plan.
“I have been working on this for more than a year and am very excited to bring it forward and tell people the location today,” said Ashby, who represents North Natomas on the city council.
Staybridge Suites is an all-suite, residential-style brand of hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group. The brand targets extended-stay and corporate travelers.
The four-story, 117-room hotel has been open since 2007. It sits on 2.29 acres at 140 Promenade Circle, off North Freeway Boulevard. the site is within walking distance of both the Sacramento Gateway and Natomas Marketplace shopping centers as well as Regional Transit’s No. 11 and No. 13 bus routes.
The Homeless Master Siting Plan includes converting at least six motel or hotel properties to permanent supportive housing. Per the plan, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency was in active negotiations for two properties in Natomas — one in city council District 1, which Ashby represents, and one in District 3, represented by Councilmember Jeff Harris.
To date, information about either location had not been released due to active negotiations with hotel ownership.
But tonight, Ashby said the “Promenade Circle Project” property has been secured by a purchase and sale agreement, and families could move in as soon as early 2022.
The shelter will be managed by Jamboree Housing Corp., an affordable housing developer, which has successfully completed HomeKey funded developments throughout the state. The nonprofit currently owns and operates Hotel Berry in downtown Sacramento, and is working on Sunrise Point, a homeless development under construction in Citrus Heights.
Ashby said the hotel is suited to provide supported housing for families due to the mix of bedroom types. There are 63 studios, 39 one-bedroom units and 14 two-bedroom units. The two-bedroom units also have two bathrooms. All units will be completely furnished at purchase and have kitchens with a refrigerator, microwave, sink, dishwasher and stove top.
Staybridge Suites is close to several schools within the Natomas Unified School District. The school district is already a partner on the project, Ashby said, and a homeless liaison will visit the site to make sure children living there are receiving services.
According to Ashby, the shelter will have three full-time supportive service coordinators and one program manager. The site’s front desk will be staffed 24-hours a day, the property will be gated and have private security patrols as well.
The site will follow Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency’s good neighbor policy or a set of community agreements meant to respect a shelter’s neighbors.
According to Ashby, the Staybridge Suites site could house up to 200 to 600 individuals at a time. Some units, however, will be set aside for those in need of emergency housing.
Staybridge Suites is located at 140 Promenade Circle. / NatomasBuzz.com Photo
Rear view of Staybridge Suites. / NatomasBuzz.com Photo
Thank you for the comprehensive coverage on the issue of bringing Project Homekey to Natomas. This news raises so many questions. First off, wasn’t Project Homekey initially sold as converting older motels, no longer competitive in today’s hospitality industry, to longer term stays by those in need of shelter? Last year the Project came under public scrutiny for paying 200% to 300% over appraised values to hurriedly close its purchases of older properties. Managers partially defended the decisions to spend so much money on the expiration of use-it-or-lose-it funding. Fast forward to now, and we’re seeing the acquisition of a larger, more modern property that served guests ranging from fire fighters to airline crews, and local families temporarily displaced from their homes. It seems that Project Homekey has abandoned its original mission of breathing new life into older properties that can no longer compete in today’s hospitality industry. By finding alternative uses for these properties, Project Homekey and local government can proactively prevent blight, if they are abandoned, or crime if they continue to operate but attract an unsavory clientele. Finally, couldn’t Project Homekey’s impressive funding help local government bring new life to enterprise zones where development is desired, on corridors like Norwood and Del Paso Blvd? Has anyone asked how many taxpayer dollars are being paid to acquire the Staybridge, and compare that number to its appraised value prior to the announcement?
Mayor Steinberg’s efforts to improve services for the homeless population are laudable, but does it make sense to relocate a homeless population to a suburban shopping area? Will we still enjoy shopping at Target when we’re met at the front door or approached in the parking lot by panhandlers suffering from mental illness? Will eating at BJs still be an option if we find our car windows broken when we come out? A Fountains-like upscale shopping center was supposed to break ground near the Pavilions. Is Gucci going to open a retail store 1/4 mile from government subsidized housing for the homeless, complete with on-site social and mental health services?
As much as we’d like to believe in the wisdom of our leaders, it seems that Ms. Ashby and the City Council have relocated 600 homeless people from the streets of downtown to Natomas, likely at considerable taxpayer expense.