Is there a winning formula for revitalizing Sunrise Mall?

By Sara Beth Williams–
The Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan aims to “re-imagine” the heart of Citrus Heights by transforming the Sunrise Mall property into a mixed-use development inspired by successful shopping and entertainment districts across the country.

The city’s plan references sections of areas like Sacramento’s K Street, Levy Park in Houston, Texas, downtown San Luis Obispo, Runway Playa Vista in Los Angeles, and Santana Row in San Jose as potential models both visually and conceptually, but comparisons remain difficult due to a variety of factors like income levels, population density, and other regional differences.

Last August, Citrus Heights City Councilmember Tim Schaefer said Santana Row was “not a fair comparison” for the future potential of Sunrise Mall. Instead, he pointed to Belmar Mall in Lakewood, Colorado, as a more realistic model for what the site could become.

In follow up comments to The Sentinel this week, Schaefer said the current development guide serves as a “menu of options” for developers, and that future development could look different than what’s presented on paper.

The desire to revitalize Sunrise Mall reflects a broader trend seen in cities across California and the country, where aging malls are being reimagined and replaced. Cities like Westminster, Santa Ana, San Leandro, and Cupertino are all currently working on redevelopment plans for former defunct malls.

The City Council of Westminster unanimously approved a specific plan in November 2022 for the former Westminster Mall in Southern California. The mall property spans nearly 100 acres, like Sunrise Mall, and had multiple property owners and long-term leases at the time the plan was approved. As of early 2024, the city still remains in the planning phase.

Santa Ana approved a development plan for MainPlace Mall in 2019. Like the Sunrise Tomorrow plan, the MainPlace Mall Transformation Project envisions adding residential units, hotel rooms, office space, and commercial areas. As of September 2024, the demolition of the former Nordstrom building was halfway complete, according to the city’s website.

But each mall and its corresponding region have different demographics and factors that come into play. Lakewood, Colorado, where Villa Italia Mall was transformed into a major mixed-use shopping district called Belmar Mall in 2004, had a population of 143,000 in 2010 and now has a population of 156,000 residents with a median income of $85,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Westminster has a population of almost 89,000 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with a median income of $82,000. San Leandro, located between Oakland and Hayward, has a population of 91,000, with 44 percent of people earning over $100,000, according to the city’s website. Elk Grove, which recently opened Sky River Casino in 2022 after over a decade of complications on a massive mall redevelopment project, has a population of 170,000 and a median income of $119,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

While Citrus Heights’ vision for Sunrise Mall aligns with many redevelopment projects, not every redevelopment project looks the same. Elk Grove’s Lent Ranch Mall, originally intended to be a major mixed-use development project spanning over 200 acres, stalled for years due to financial and logistical challenges before Wilton Rancheria purchased the land and demolished it in 2019. In March 2021, the developer broke ground for the Sky River Casino, which opened in August 2022.

San Leandro permanently closed its 42-acre defunct Bayfair Center Mall in October 2024 and has plans to redevelop it as a “biotech hub,” according to Bay Area News Group.

Local developer Ethan Conrad has proposed a different approach to developing the Sunrise Mall property. Conrad’s plans, outlined in a proposed amendment to the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan, show the addition of a Home Depot along with multiple fast food restaurants to the property. Conrad emphasized during a Neighborhood Area community meeting in January that national retail tenants should be secured first in order to attract additional, more desirable businesses. Conrad also suggested repurposing the existing mall structures rather than demolishing it, citing cost concerns.

In a website dedicated to what Ethan Conrad Properties calls “Sunrise Tomorrow Evolution,” the developer highlighted its success in revitalizing several “dead malls” into marketplaces, such as the Yuba Sutter Marketplace, Chico Marketplace, and the Marketplace at Merced.

Amid the differences in viewpoints regarding what the future of Sunrise Mall could become, Citrus Heights residents have overwhelmingly emphasized on local social media groups, through letters to the editor, in public comments at council meetings and through FlashVote surveys issued by the city, a strong sentiment that redevelopment of Sunrise Mall needs to occur sooner rather than later.

Ethan Conrad Properties is slated to present the amendment proposal to multiple neighborhood areas in February, with the next one scheduled to take place on Feb. 19 at the monthly meeting for Neighborhood Area 11, Birdcage Heights. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Century 21 Office, located at 7919 Pebble Beach Drive, Suite 101. A meet-and-greet will take place at 6:30 p.m.

The purpose of the city’s Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan is to provide a comprehensive direction with options for development that aligns with city strategic goals and policies.

The focal point of the Specific Plan is a walkable “21st Century Main Street,” with five big ideas guiding it: creating a community and regional destination with shopping and entertainment options; creating connected greenspaces throughout, including parks, plazas and streets with shade trees and sustainable landscaping; creating safe, low-speed streets that cater to pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles; creating livable neighborhoods with various housing options within walking distance to transit, retail, entertainment and employment opportunities, and creating an environment that promotes economic activity and job creation.

Overall, the Specific Plan anticipates the potential of tripling the development previously allowed at the sprawling site, with the addition of up to 480 hotel rooms, 2,220 residential units, 320,000 square feet of retail, 960,000 square feet of office space, and 450,000 square feet of community and institutional uses. The Specific Plan can be read in full online here.