What new housing complex at old Marshall School site in midtown Sacramento will look like
A developer plans to transform the vacant old Marshall School site in midtown Sacramento into a multifamily housing project totaling 60 new housing units.
The overhaul of the 1.18-acre landmark site at 2718 G St. calls for turning the historic school building into a three-story, 36-unit residential complex.
The historic school building, built in 1903, would remain, but plans call for the demolition of an adjacent annex building. The project also adds 12 separate duplex structures at the site.
Developer Katherine Bardis-Miry submitted an adaptive reuse request to the city earlier this month. The application includes architectural renderings of the project, which offer a first look at what the market-rate project will look like.
“The site has been vacant and fenced for such a long time, we’re really looking forward to bringing new life to the area and creating more housing, and especially housing diversity, by bringing forth both a rental and a for-sale project,” Bardis-Miry said.
The duplex units would be offered for sale while the school would be converted to rental apartments.
The grounds of the project would include street-level parking and enclosed private garages, totaling 34 parking spots, according to the submitted plans.
A decent amount of open space and public amenities have been proposed with the project, Bardis-Miry said, with planners and developers beginning initial discussions with neighbors about what might be of benefit to them “since they live and breathe the area.”
Public amenities could include a community garden, a dog park, an accessible playground, an outdoor art gallery and attractive seating spaces and landscaping.
“To us, the community has been so patient with waiting to see something done with the site, we really wanted to find a way to create a community benefit with the project,” Bardis-Miry added. “We’re not really sure what it’s going to be yet, but we have reserved quite a bit of space on the site for public use, and something that just really celebrates the both the project and the surrounding area and neighbors.
“We’ve heard some really great ideas,” she said, noting that it is very early in the process. “Of course, all these ideas have to be vetted with the city but we’re going through our due diligence now.”
The 121-year-old Marshall School — designed by prominent local architect Rudolph A. Herold, who also crafted City Hall — was used as an elementary school until 1976, when it was closed over concerns about whether it could withstand an earthquake.
The school is listed on the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources, making it a subject of preservation efforts.
There is not a specific timeline yet for finishing the project. The plans do not involve housing limitations on residents, such as a senior living project.
The project will undergo a director-level review and doesn’t require city council or planning commission approval.
This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 3:42 PM.
