Maybe we're getting the hang of this.

Amazingly, we had as many hits as misses for 2011 in our annual – and often futile – exercise in predicting the biggest business developments for the region.

Here are the predictions from a year ago – and how they turned out:

• The downtown Sacramento railyard site will be selected as the preferred location for a new Sacramento courthouse.

This was right on the money, with a committee opting against the competing site on the Capitol Mall.

• British-owned Fresh & Easy markets will finally start its Sacramento invasion.

Right again. The company disclosed its first 17 sites and began work on a few.

• Henry's Farmers Markets also will make a mark here, acquiring several more local sites.

Not even close. Henry's merged with Sprouts Farmers Market in a deal that slowed the expansion efforts of both companies.

• K Street will benefit from the opening of the "mermaid bar" complex and, late in the year, the return of auto traffic.

Well, yes. The three venues opened by San Francican George Karpaty brought throngs to downtown, especially late at night. (Don't believe us? Drop in at Pizza Rock at 1 a.m. some weekend morning.) The impact of auto traffic? Too soon to tell.

• Shoe retailer DSW will open another local shop, possibly at the former Linens 'n Things site at Market Square.

Exactly right.

• Railyard owner Inland American Real Estate Trust will partner with a development team to resume work on the downtown project.

Nope. Inland spent the year on infrastructure work. No partners yet.

• Arco Arena will get a new name, with a national firm – maybe Southwest Airlines – stepping in to buy naming rights.

A national firm, yes. But Power Balance, not Southwest.

• Gov. Jerry Brown will kill plans to unload a bunch of state office buildings, for $1 billion, to help close the budget gap.

Indeed he did.

• Developers will secure HUD funding for an apartment complex on twin CADA-owned parcels at facing corners at 16th and O streets.

Not HUD funding. But developers got a conventional loan from Union Bank.

• Another CADA project, at 16th and P, will secure funding and move toward construction.

No. Developers from Sukna Global Holdings – now renamed the Vivelan Group – found the financing market even tougher than expected.

• Mexico's discount airline Volaris will enter the market with thrice-weekly flights between the capital and Guadalajara.

Wrong. The airline started up service in Fresno but not Sacramento. Go figure.

• We'll see a broker merry-go-round, with commercial real estate teams switching to new employers.

Did we ever! Two big teams left Colliers for new posts at Jones Lang LaSalle and Cushman & Wakefield.

• Wal-Mart will acquire the West Coast sites of a major retailer in a bid to speed up rollout of its new small-grocery format.

No, but it did acquire a lease for the Granite Bay store now operated by Grocery Outlet.

• A Nasdaq-traded company will announce a big expansion here.

There were two such deals. Copart Inc. acquired land in Antelope for a future auto auction site, and Electronic Arts acquired Sacramento startup KlickNation in a deal that will result in more jobs here.

• A major university will roll out plans for a local site.

Didn't happen. In fact, Drexel University canceled plans for a new suburban campus. But UC Davis did reveal a blueprint for a huge onsite expansion.

• Country Club Plaza will finally be sold.

Nope. We've been wrong on this one two years in a row.

• Last but not least, the Sacramento Kings will limp to a nearly-NBA-worst 15-win season and secure a top draft pick.

The Kings finished with a mini-flourish last year, racking up 24 wins and reducing their chances for a top pick. Still, getting Jimmer Fredette wasn't bad.

Now the big question for the Kings: Will they be playing in Sacramento beyond this season?

Read our 2012 predictions column on Tuesday to find out.

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Call The Bee's Bob Shallit, (916) 321-1049.

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