By Mike Hazlilp—
A row of old juniper bushes that filled parking lot planters along Greenback Lane for decades have been uprooted to make way for new landscaping, just in time for a “Brews in the Burbs” event this Saturday.
Related: ‘Brews in the Burbs’ to return to Citrus Heights for 2022
Drivers passing by could see piles of the uprooted bushes as workers prepared to add new irrigation and sod in their place. On Tuesday, drip irrigation lines and fresh rolls of sod could be seen in preparation for install.
Sunrise Mall Operations Director Matthew Baker told The Sentinel that new landscaping will be water efficient and prevent vandals from setting fire to the juniper. He said the mall’s majority owner, Namdar, is also considering adding trees, such as Japanese plums, as a decorative element.
Baker said a target completion date is Friday, May 20, in time for the Brews in the Burbs event the mall is hosting.
Economic Development and Communications Manager Meghan Huber confirmed in an email Wednesday that the city is not involved in funding the landscape renovation and said the project is not part of the city’s ongoing work along Greenback Lane using SB1 funds.
The Greenback Lane Complete Streets Project began in mid-March and is slated to conclude by early fall. The project includes storm drain and intersection upgrades, new curb ramps, electrical upgrades to traffic signals, utility upgrades and full roadway repaving from Fair Oaks Boulevard to Sunrise Boulevard.
Read more: Work begins on Greenback Lane repaving, improvement project
More major redevelopment of the nearly 100-acre Sunrise Mall is also in the works, with the city approving a shovel-ready, four-phase plan last year. The projected cost is $818 million, with an estimated timeline of 20 years to be fully completed.
The first phase aims to develop the unused parking areas over the next five years. The second phase would incorporate office space, retail, dining, and an extended stay hotel. The third and final phase includes redeveloping the existing mall into a 21st century main street.
Related: City seeing ‘a ton of interest’ from developers in Sunrise Mall plans
By Mike Hazlilp—
A row of old juniper bushes that filled parking lot planters along Greenback Lane for decades have been uprooted to make way for new landscaping, just in time for a "Brews in the Burbs" event this Saturday.
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