Landmark or Shake Shack? Fate of Arden building to be decided by Sacramento City Council
Original story:
After months of delays, the Sacramento City Council on Tuesday will determine the fate of a former Home Savings and Loan Building near Arden Fair mall that could be replaced with a new Shake Shack.
The building is located at 1950 Arden Way and has been vacant for several years while struggling to find a tenant. But because of the building’s striking “new formalist” architecture and mosaic murals, it has garnered the support of many locals and historians hoping to preserve the building by giving it distinction as a landmark.
The building sits on a crowded intersection across from Cal Expo at the intersection of Arden Way and Exposition Boulevard. It would become the fourth Shake Shack in the capital region joining the location in the midtown Ice Blocks, Roseville’s Westfield Galleria mall and a location in Folsom expected to be finished later this year.
Adam Arenson, a professor and chairman of history at Manhattan College, is one of roughly 60 who have commented in support of keeping the building. He noted the design of architect Millard Sheets and his place in California’s history as a reason for giving the building historical status.
“Millard Sheets Studio artworks have been recognized formally as landmarks in Beverly Hills, and preservation projects in Montebello and Pasadena have been lauded by city residents and architectural historians alike,” Arenson wrote. “I urge you to build on this recognition and confirm the landmark status of this building. Integrating architecture, mosaic, stained glass, and interior design elements in an indivisible whole, it represents the genius of Sheets Studio commissions for Home Savings.”
The three-story former bank, formerly occupied by Chase and then-Washington Mutual banks, is believed to be one of the most supported buildings by preservationists in recent Sacramento history. Preservationists have argued it could be used for medical offices, a charter school, grocery store or data center. But there’s a belief the City Council could side with the buildings’ owners who approached the city about demolishing it and replacing it with a Shake Shack after being unable to find a tenant.
The fate of the building was planned to be decided earlier this year but faced numerous delays, including the building’s district being unrepresented on the council. That led Mayor Darrell Steinberg to represent the area unless November’s election.
This story was originally published August 27, 2024 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Landmark or Shake Shack? Fate of Arden building to be decided by Sacramento City Council."
