WEST SACRAMENTO -- Mayor Martha Guerrero, in her State of the City address, emphasized growth as she laid out future plans for the city on Thursday.
The mayor, in listing off the successes of this past year, was quick to first point out that West Sacramento pulled off Sutter Health Park becoming the new temporary home of the formerly-Oakland Athletics as the club makes its eventual move to Las Vegas.
"We are setting the standard for what a small but mighty city can do. We're not just growing. We are growing with purpose and with passion," said Guerrero in her address to the city.
In less than a year's time, the city got the AAA-Minor League ballpark up to Major League Baseball standards, implemented a traffic safety plan and worked to invest in small businesses near the ballpark, helping them expand and prepare for an increase in foot traffic.
The city is leaning into its newly announced nickname, 'the baseball side of the river.'
"We are demonstrating to Major League Baseball that we have what it takes, a small city, what it takes to highlight some of the success along the riverfront," Guerrero told CBS13.
With rapid growth, West Sacramento is going through some expected growing pains. It's had to respond to more foot traffic, a population uptick and all the infrastructure needs that entails.
Better roads, more police and bigger projects are the city's focus.
A major priority for both the city of West Sacramento and the city of Sacramento is finally breaking ground on the years-in-the-making I Street Bridge Replacement Project.
In collaboration with Sacramento, Guerrero says West Sacramento will be financially investing in the project and expect it to break ground in 2026.
"What we do need is a bigger bridge that allows for safer bike and pedestrian traffic going to the Railyards and also coming to our Washington District, which we are planning on expanding," said Guerrero.
As Sacramento faces a steep $44 million budget deficit, West Sacramento is seeing rare financial freedom.
Guerrero pointed to the November election, when voters passed a sales tax increase through Measure O.
Its passage has now given the green light to a more than $20 million investment back into city projects.
"For parks, addressing homelessness, police and fire," said Guerrero.
The mayor says Measure O has already helped West Sacramento's police force grow by 38 new officers and funded critically needed road repairs.
Plus, in a first of its kind $86 million bond issuance, the city over three years will be able to fast-track new development projects.
This, Guerrero says, one day could mean that West Sacramento has its own downtown scene.
"Right now, it is just conversations on what we can do to support building a downtown that is attractive with mixed-use development along West Capitol," said Guerrero.
West Capitol Ave. is home to the Grand Gateway Master Plan, which reimagines the corridor connecting Jefferson Blvd. down to the riverfront.
The city has recently purchased old motel properties along West Capitol Ave. that currently house homeless temporary housing services to eventually be turned into a boutique hotel and new housing.
Next summer, the city also expects the Pierside Development along the waterfront to open, home to more than 200 new apartments and commercial space.
A hotel on the water is also in its early planning stages next to the Ziggurat building on the West Sacramento side of the river.
"I'm proud to share we are seeing remarkable momentum across all sectors. Industrial, residential, office, retail and mixed use," said Guerrero in her state of the city remarks.
Watch the mayor's full address at this link.
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