West Sacramento buys contaminated site near Sutter Health Park for future development
West Sacramento is moving to transform a contaminated industrial site across from Sutter Health Park into a future development opportunity tied to the city's growing Bridge District — and possibly its Major League Baseball ambitions.
On Wednesday, the West Sacramento City Council unanimously approved the $3.2 million purchase of a nearly three-acre property on Riske Lane, directly across from the stadium where the A's and Sacramento River Cats play.
"This property is sort of the last remaining industrial use in the Bridge District," City Manager Aaron Laurel said.
The neighborhood has undergone a major transformation over the last decade, with new housing and businesses moving in.
"It's a nice place that's grown along the riverfront," Mayor Martha Guerrero said.
Guerrero said the property is in the area where there could one day be a new Major League Baseball stadium.
"It's no secret that we've been interested in taking a look at a Major League Baseball expansion team," she said.
But there are some safety concerns over the land itself.
"The city has a long track record of taking on challenged properties like this," Laurel said.
Laurel said that most recently, it was a stucco manufacturing plant.
In the 1970s, a lead-acid battery business was located there, and the soil is still hazardous. A state inspection found lead levels at the site were 1,500 milligrams per kilogram.
That's more than 18 times higher than the level that's considered acceptable for reuse without restrictions.
Lead contamination is considered a human health hazard that can cause cardiovascular and kidney damage, and developmental delays in children.
"Without the city doing this work, it's very unlikely a private developer would be able to take it on," Laurel said. "The purchase price does reflect a consideration of the contamination and the cleanup costs we expect."
Plans for the property include using it to extend and widen some existing streets and provide more public parking. In the future, it could be a mix of residential and commercial uses.
It's an effort to turn this hazardous spot into a place that could one day have a major league view.
"We want to be able to transform that," Guerrero said.
Money for the land purchase and cleanup costs comes from property taxes in the bridge district that are dedicated towards public improvements.