A surprise 11th-hour action could lead to yet another stall for the massive Sacramento Railyards development project and the proposed soccer stadium that is slated to go up in it.
People who live in the Railyards are protesting the development's new financing plan and the proposed enhanced infrastructure financing district.
Some lined up in a show of solidarity, supported by the union Unite Here Local 39, in the council chambers on Tuesday, arguing that more affordable housing is needed in the railyards.
There are currently only two residential buildings in the Railyards: The A.J. Apartments and the Wong Senior Center. Both include affordable housing.
Of the roughly 250 people who live in them, state law requires that if half protest the formation of the railyards' proposed special tax district, the district can not be created for at least a year.
Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum is chair of the Railyards Public Financing Authority.
"This is a huge mistake, tremendous," Pluckebaum said. "This is a lose-lose proposition."
Sacramento Republic FC's proposed soccer stadium is the highest-profile building that would be impacted by the loss of city financing.
"So we lose that soccer stadium, probably the rest of that project gets set back another decade," Pluckebaum said. "And how many decades have we been talking about this?"
Pam Freemon is one of the residents who signed the protest.
"My passion is that everybody has the same opportunities," Freemon said.
A Sacramento city spokesperson said the clerk's office is verifying the signatures to see how many were submitted and whether the formation of this railyards district must be stopped.
They say that the process is expected to take approximately one week.
Sacramento city councilmember Lisa Kaplan pointed to another possible major downtown project that could be threatened in this railyards roadblock—the new Kaiser hospital.
"I have spoken with Kaiser leadership and it is a concern that they are looking at... This is blowing up economic development for the greater good of the city of Sacramento," Kaplan said.
In a statement to CBS Sacramento, Kaiser said its plans are not impacted.
"Kaiser Permanente remains committed to building a state-of-the-art medical center and construction is on track. Our plans are not impacted by this redevelopment vote," Kaiser said.
Wilton Rancheria responds
Wilton Rancheria, the majority owner of the Republic FC, also issued a terse statement about the Railyards financing deal now in flux. "Let's call this what it is: an attempt to strong-arm a sovereign Tribal Nation that will result in the loss of a major economic driver and the stadium that Sacramento has waited over a decade for," Wilton Rancheria said. The tribe, which owns the Sky River Casino in Elk Grove, could build its soccer stadium on land it owns there instead. "This is, it's not right," Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said. "What's happening at the 11th hour?" Singh-Allen said she supports the tribe's efforts to build in the Railyards first, and would support a stadium in Elk Grove if the Railyards financing deal does collapse."And should they need our assistance, for a soccer stadium or any other project, we are here to be not only friends but also partners," Singh-Allen said.
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