West Sacramento gives California 43 acres for $100 million Indian Heritage Center

The West Sacramento City Council voted unanimously this week to approve the transfer of a riverfront property to allow the state to build a $100 million California Indian Heritage Center.

About a decade in the making, the planned heritage center received a massive boost this May, when Gov. Jerry Brown’s final budget set aside the nine-figure surprise — even city leaders and Native Americans advocating for the project since 2008 did not know about the windfall until the budget was released.

The 43-acre property currently known as the East Riverfront Property had been owned by the city’s Redevelopment Agency since 1997. Former projects considered on the property included a private high school and the Governor’s residence, according to an agenda report accompanying the council’s Wednesday vote.

The state, through the Department of Parks and Recreation and Public Works Board, have also agreed to fund and build a bike path and pedestrian walkways on the riverfront.

The project is on the agenda of a Dec. 14 Public Works meeting for the next phase of state approval.

The California Indian Heritage Center Task Force in May 2007 called the riverfront property a “preferred location” for a state park dedicated to Native American history.

This story was originally published December 7, 2018 at 7:29 AM.