California Plans to Demolish Three Aging Capitol Mall Buildings: 45-Day Public Comment Period Opens Today
Sacramento, Sacramento County, California — A draft environmental impact report released by the California Department of General Services on October 22 shows that the state plans to demolish three state-owned office buildings at the Capitol Mall in Sacramento: the former Employment Development Department headquarters, the Solar Building, and the State Personnel Board building. The three buildings total about 730,000 square feet on 5.5 acres and at their peak could house nearly 2,700 workers; today two stand empty and only 86 people work in the third. The report notes the presence of asbestos and lead paint and the absence of fire sprinkler systems in the buildings. The 45-day public comment period runs from October 26 through December 10; the Director of General Services will decide whether to approve the demolition after the environmental review is complete. If approved, demolition would begin in fall 2027 at the earliest and take about 18 months; the demolition will proceed whether or not Sacramento State University takes over the site. The university has been granted exclusive study rights, with a preliminary concept including 1,250 apartments, a 250-room hotel, and teaching, office, retail, and indoor performing arts space, but the land transfer has not yet been formally committed, and the campus plan would require its own separate environmental review.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 萨克拉门托加州议会大厦（资料图，非拟拆建筑本身）。图片：Andre m，CC BY-SA 3.0，取自维基共享资源。
