OPINION: What the Sunrise Mall really needs

Opinion column by Sara Beth Williams–
In the last few years, a myriad of news articles, commentaries, opinionated letters, and online social media posts have documented both the obvious demise and the hopeful anticipation of a new era for the Sunrise Mall. With the Citrus Heights City Council set to review an amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan later this month, it seems appropriate to examine what Sunrise Mall truly needs for a successful revitalization.

In April 2023, Comstock’s Magazine asked several mall managers multiple questions, including what their keys to a great customer experience were. The top answers from mall management surveyed included clean and well-maintained grounds, keeping customers and businesses safe and protected, and offering desirable spaces with opportunities for community engagement. These features encapsulate exactly what our mall is missing.

The Sunrise Mall needs an owner who is present:

The history of the Sunrise Mall predates the city’s incorporation by 25 years, and many older residents have reminisced about cruise nights, regular shopping trips, and gatherings with friends at the Sunrise Mall over the decades. However, the majority owner—who has offices based in New York and has a questionable track record—has allowed the mall to fall into disrepair.

Stores have left in droves, particularly in late 2023 and early 2024, which saw the closure of multiple eateries and national brands. Entire corridors of the mall now stand vacant, and kids ride bikes freely through the center of the mall harassing customers, according to store employees. Outside, landscaping is poorly maintained, particularly the landscaping along both major boulevards, prompting even former Mayor Bret Daniels to offer to bring out a hose to water the grass himself during a June 27 City Council meeting where the city took the first step in approving a subdivision for a future hotel footprint. Daniels called the neglect of the landscaping “horrible” considering that the intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Greenback Lane is one of the busiest intersections in the county.

Conversely, commercial real estate investment company Ethan Conrad Properties, based in Sacramento, purchased 21 acres of the mall property in November 2022 and has repaved whole sections of parking lots and repainted and remodeled the buildings he owns since that time.

While the effort shown is very welcome, we still need a majority owner who is present in this city — or at least the state — and who will actively maintain the property both inside and out. We need an owner who will staff the mall with enough security personnel to allow visitors to feel safe, instead of passively condoning harassment from kids riding bikes through the mall and allowing businesses investigated by federal authorities to continue to operate within the mall.

The Sunrise Mall needs suitable outdoor spaces for people to meet and gather:

While the mall lacks food and shopping options, with the last permanent food eatery vacating the food court in early 2024, a series of community events and activities continues to take place. But when there are no farmer’s markets, carnivals, or vendor fairs, the mall is desolate. Savxcreative on Tiktok called the mall a “ghost mall” and one resident told Comstock’s Magazine, “You could drive a car through the inside of the mall and not hit anyone.” Residents who’ve been to the mall recently know this is true.

The mall needs more than occasional events sprinkled throughout the year to draw customers to its grounds. While the mostly vacant interior of the mall features an old fountain and small couches, tables, and chairs dispersed within, there are zero places to eat, and the exterior offers nothing but uncomfortable metal benches that overlook mostly-vacant parking lots.

In contrast, the Marketplace at Birdcage right across the street features beautiful murals on store walls, fairly-well-maintained grounds throughout the series of retailers and restaurants, outdoor patio areas along some of the fast-casual restaurants, and maintained walking paths that make it easy for patrons to walk from one store to another.

The Fountains at Roseville offer a majestic “dancing” fountain as the focal point, which lights up at night, as well as outdoor patios, easily accessible storefronts, sculptures, fire pits, an interactive splash pad, a small playground, and train rides for kids, providing something to do for all family members.

The Palladio in Folsom features activities such as family-friendly games in the piazza center court and photo ops sprinkled along the grounds, and regularly holds concert series, car shows, and holiday events.

 The Galleria in Roseville, though primarily indoors, features an outdoor playground area with a shade structure over the top that serves as a gathering and resting place for families with kids.

This is what our mall needs, and this is what the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan promotes and emphasizes. Disregarding or removing the requirements for open spaces or green space will prevent future visitors and adjacent residents from enjoying benefits such as enhanced aesthetics and the potential for community engagement and social interaction—benefits that all the above-mentioned venues offer in spades. Likewise, future businesses will lose out on increased foot traffic from patrons.

Regardless of the decision on which future retailers should and shouldn’t come to the property or whether the site is renamed, in order to draw customers back to the mall we once cherished and thus reinvigorate both a sense of community pride and more tax revenue into our city, we need an owner who is present, who keeps the property maintained and safe, and we need outdoor gathering spaces with green space, walking paths, inviting seating areas, and outdoor activities that people of all ages and all walks of life can enjoy.

Sara Beth Williams was born and raised in Citrus Heights, and is a writer, reporter, and published author. She previously worked in education for 10 years. With deep community roots, she contributes to The Sentinel and keeps a close watch on key projects. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she loves reading, gardening, music, and spending time with family. You can find her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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