cmdc brief

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CITY OF SACRAMENTOCALIFORNIA

Capitol Mall Design Competition Brief 15 May 2011 3

IntroductionThe Capitol Mall Design Competition Catalyst - is an open ideascompetition provided through the partnership of the City of Sacramentoand the AIA Central Valley Chapter. The competition seeks forward-thinking, innovative and implementable urban and architectural designs forthe Capitol Mall corridor.

BackgroundIn 1911, Capitol Mall was developed as a main gateway into Sacramentofrom the west. For many years, it was one of Sacramentos most travelledand bustling corridors. By the 1960s Capitol Mall was replaced as main

access point to the city with the introduction of freeways. Since that time,Capitol Mall has been transformed by a concentration of high-rise officetowers into a center of commerce the regions premier corporate address.While thousands work on Capitol Mall, the street and ground floors aremostly absent of activity due to poor access to common areas, absence of common infrastructure and an undeveloped sense of place.

For over a century Capitol Mall has provided a grand procession towardsthe steps of the California State Capitol but has been woefully underutilizedas a civic amenity. Now, decades later, this swath of land is primed for atrue exploration and rebirth to become a grand civic space.

In 2005 the State Route between Tower Bridge and 10 th Street (CapitolMall) was granted by the State of California to the City of Sacramento.

Becoming a city street allowed for more flexibility in street design,improvements and construction.

For years City officials, business owners, and residents have imagined alively and interactive public space that has the potential to be seen as thecenter for all civic amenities in the Capitol Region. Seen as a great expanseof uninterrupted public space within the core of Downtown Sacramento, theCapitol Mall provides unmatched views of the Tower Bridge and CaliforniaState Capitol.

Over the past few years, stakeholders have met to discuss constraints andpossibilities to activate this great civic space. That outcome being apartnership between the AIA Central Valley and the City of Sacramentoleading the charge for this international competition. It is through this

international competition that this underutilized civic space can gain theattention it deserves and transform into a regional, national andinternational treasure through the greatest of design possibilities.

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Last summer, property owners and stakeholders on Capitol Mall formed theCapitol Mall District to promote events that would introduce the idea of Capitol Mall as a shared community-gathering place. The events thatresulted a weekly Farmers Market, Concours dElegance, and concerts -introduced thousands to Capitol Mall and demonstrated the potential of the

underutilized space.In the coming weeks, Sacramento City Council is expected to approve TheCapitol Mall Design Competition, marking the beginning of a five-monthprocess that will deliver world-class design proposals and the catalyst to re-invent Capitol Mall.

SiteGenerally the primary area of consideration consists of the R.O.W alongCapitol Mall from the east terminus of the Tower Bridge to (and including)the 9 th Street intersection. The secondary area of consideration includesthe R.O.W. of each side street for a portion of one block in both the northand south directions. The secondary area also includes the R.O.W. portion

of 3rd

Street leading to the Crocker Art Museum to the south.

Process Jury Selection A jury of notables (architects/designers), a Capitol Mallstakeholder representative and a representative from the City of Sacramento will be assembled to select the winners of the Competitionbased on the idea(s) presented and adherence to the Competition goalsand criteria.

Consistent with similar international design competitions and to ensurethe highest caliber and number of entries the first-prize winner willreceive $20,000, second-prize $10,000, third-prize $5,000, and there willbe three $500 student notable mentions.

ScheduleOver a five-month timeframe, the competition and call-for-entries will beposted and publicized online through the AIA website and supported byadvertisement and public relations efforts. Submissions will be collectedand judged, winners announced and presented at sponsored gala event.

Funding The fee of $200 per entry x 175 entrants ( a very conservative estimatebased on similar high-profile competitions) will fund most of thecompetition costs (70% of competition budget is prize purse). An additional$20,000 - $25,000 in corporate and private sponsorship will be sought topromote competition on international architecture websites, provide for

juror participation, present and publicize competition and winning entries.

Next StepsIdeas generated from winning submissions will be used to develop phasedconstruction plans and provide leverage to apply for identified local, stateand federal grants including:

- Urban Greening;

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- SACOG Community Grant Funds;

- Prop. 84 Funds

Additionally, at the time the Capitol Mall was relinquished to the city, TheState of California also transferred $1.2 million in funds designated for

improvements in the transaction. Those funds are available for initialinfrastructure and construction.

Competition Goals Activation - The primary goal of the competition is to define opportunitiesto significantly increase activation of the Capitol Mall

The competition seeks creative solutions that will serve to enhanceactivation of the Mall and create a vibrant and compelling destination pointthat attracts visitors from not just the region and other areas of Californiabut from around the world.

Catalyst Site(s) It is envisioned that creative development of a specific portion or portions of the Mall may act as a catalyst for generating and maintaining interest in the Capitol Mall redevelopment

These components are intended to be iconic in nature and act as a draw forvisitors to Sacramento. There is no defined program or location, thesubmitter is free to suggest whatever use and location might beappropriate to the civic nature of the Mall. Several location opportunitiesare suggested however and are identified on the site graphic.

Gatherings & Events Reinforce use of the Mall for civic events and gatherings of all kinds

Despite the lack of amenity that currently exists on the Mall it is used forgatherings and events such as concerts, open markets, political rallies, andas a terminal point for marathons and cycling events such as the AmgenClassic. The development of an innovative way to successfully and easilyaccommodate these varied civic uses is imperative to the success of thecompetition.

Linkages & Walk-ability Find and develop ways of connecting thevarious parts of the City by enhancing and defining linkages with anemphasis on the pedestrian experience

We have the State Capitol Building to the east; Tower Bridge and theSacramento River, Old Sacramento, and West Sacramento to the west; thenew Crocker Art Museum expansion to the south; and the Citys CentralBusiness District to the north. Each of these presents an opportunity toconnect the Mall to the fabric of the City and effectively compress thespace between them.

Decreasing vehicular traffic along the Mall allows for a drastic reduction inthe street area between 3 rd and 9 th Streets. What currently acts as a

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significant barrier to pedestrian traffic moving north and south may now bereconfigured to enhance the experience of crossing the Mall.

Urban Canopy Sacramento contains a world-class urban canopy, it is

one of the most forested cities in the world The community and leadership of Sacramento continually strive to increaseand enhance the urban canopy of the City. Trees are vitally important inimproving air quality, reducing heat-island effects, providing shade forbuildings and pedestrians and reducing glare and reflection from buildingsurfaces. Any successful solution must fit within and enhance the contextof the Citys urban forest.

View Corridor The Capitol Mall effectively creates a view corridor fromthe Tower Bridge to the Capitol Building

Successful submissions will respect the view corridor while potentially

enhancing it or reinforcing the linear nature of the Mall.

Sustainability All new construction must be inherently sustainable tocontribute to the current and future needs of the community

Minimized water and power use and efficient use of materials andresources are extremely important to the success of the redevelopment of the Mall and fits within the expectations of the community.

Implementation - It is vitally important to the City and all of its partnersthat submitted plans have the capacity for implementation

Solutions must be imaginative and innovative but also practical in terms of our ability to get them realized. The development of multi-stage solutionsthat can benefit from phasing may allow for an earlier start and will act asa means of fully achieving the design.

Competition ComponentsThe Big Idea - Great ideas generate great interest, any significant vision

must generate great interest and enthusiasm to be successful The ideas that spring from this competition are intended to act as acatalyst to assure that the design moves forward quickly and with broadsupport. A fully developed vision is a requirement of all competitionsubmissions.

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Catalyst Component An iconic component that will, in and of it self, act as a regional, national, and international draw to visitors and act as acatalyst for complete implementation

This component may utilize any program that is civic in nature. It shall alsobe clearly defined for possible early construction without reliance on otherportions of the submission to make it functional.

Event Plaza A required amenity to accommodate performance or address focused events such as a plaza, amphitheater or other easily configured open space

This space needs to be flexible so that it contributes to the civic nature of the Mall at all times but can also be used for concerts, speeches, etc. Thiscomponent must also be clearly defined for early construction and may becombined with the Catalyst Component above.

Overall Master Plan - An overall master plan is a primary component of the competition and is intended to act as the unifying, underlying element upon which implementation can take place

A successful master plan will allow for phasing of specific components whilestill functioning as a complete solution.

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