A modest apartment house with style is yours for the asking, if you own a compatible empty lot.
The Capitol Gardens apartments, an art moderne-styled complex designed and built by Sacramento architect Jacob Loyth, has sat for more than a half-century at 1517 N St.
But the Capitol Area Development Authority wants to relocate the front four apartments built in that style to make way for new development.
Tonya Binkley, a tenant, had never heard the term art moderne until she moved into the Capitol Gardens. Binkley, 30, chose the $635-a-month studio apartment because it was old.
"It's a good idea to save it because downtown's historic buildings are a big draw," she said. "They give downtown character. To tear it down would be a bummer."
At least one board member of the Sacramento Old City Association applauds CADA's efforts to save one of a limited number of art moderne structures in Sacramento.
The association's Vivian Gerlach's first choice would be for a CADA-approved developer to build around the Capitol Gardens. Barring that, she thinks CADA is doing the right thing trying to find a home for the units.
"You lose that sense of place when buildings like this go away," said Gerlach. "You can take a trip through time as you walk different blocks of Sacramento."
Art moderne styling is characterized by horizontal lines, flat roofs, a streamlined appearance, rounded corners, glass block windows and stainless-steel trim.
Another example of the art moderne style is the downtown Greyhound bus station.
According to Historic Environment Consultants, Capitol Gardens architect Loyth moved to Sacramento from Chicago in 1930. He built the apartment house for $32,000 in 1949.
Art moderne accents on the Capitol Gardens include decorative bands extending across the front of the building on the second floor, a flat roof and an entrance canopy with curved metal trim.
Ten rear units would be demolished because they are not architecturally significant.
"If it is feasible to relocate the front four units, we would like to do that," said Marc de la Vergne, CADA development manager. "So I would like the public to know that we would make the building available to someone if they could find a home for it."
Whether the new owner would have to pay to move the building, has not been decided. However, the building itself is free.
"The earliest a building move could occur would be in the fall of 2010, provided that frozen financing markets thaw enough by then to allow a developer to secure project financing," said de la Vergne. "When it becomes clear that that a new development on the site will actually proceed, CADA will provide tenants with generous notice of any impending development activities."
CADA is presently evaluating three developer proposals for the site. The CADA board will receive presentations from the developers Dec. 12.
CADA is entertaining proposals in height from eight to 15 stories for whatever would go on the seven-tenths of an acre that includes the Capitol Gardens land. CADA's preference is that the development be for-sale condominiums.
CADA would like the four units moved to a spot in midtown or downtown.
Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.
