Sacramento's Meadowview light rail station parking lot could be turned into housing development
Sacramento Regional Transit officials are considering transforming parts of a light rail station that are seldom used into a new residential neighborhood.
It's a concept being considered in South Sacramento. The regional transit station along Meadowview Road has nearly 700 parking spaces and SacRT says it's never full.
"It is an underutilized parking lot, and so we want to see communities built on there," said Chris Flores, SacRT chief of staff.
The Meadowview Station was once the southernmost stop, and people would go there from other parts of South Sacramento and Elk Grove to park and ride.
But the light rail line was extended ten years ago, and today, there are not nearly as many cars parking here.
Now, there's a plan to turn these empty parking spaces into a new transit-oriented community. It could include hundreds of new affordable housing units, with townhomes and apartment buildings up to five stories tall.
"You could step out of your house, immediately get on a train and head downtown without the worry of traffic, and it's super convenient," Flores said.
A study shows that the development could be eligible for state affordable housing grants, which would help offset the multi-million-dollar cost.
"It is funding at $800 million a year for the program, so there's significant funding available statewide," Flores said.
The mixed-use site could also accommodate new restaurants and retail stores.
SacRT says the idea could boost ridership and help meet regional goals to reduce driving by creating more housing near public transit.
"Transit-oriented development is a big focus for SacRT," Flores said. "We want to see more riders. We want to see more housing."
On Monday, SacRT board members voted unanimously to approve the project's planning study.
The transit district says it will begin vacating the northern portion of the parking lot by the end of this year so it can begin soliciting ideas from developers.