A US$ 1bn (California Northstate University) CNU Teaching Hospital project was recently approved for construction at the site of the former Sleep Train Arena in North Natomas by the Sacramento City Council.
According to Vice Mayor Angelique Ashby the project will bring employment opportunities and growth to a site that has remained vacant ever since the Sacramento Kings moved downtown in 2016. Ashby said that over 1,500 local union construction jobs will be created at the construction phase of the project and afterward, approximately 6,000 permanent ongoing positions would be available at the hospital and medical schools.
The construction works are expected to commence after the old arena has been demolished and Kings intends to start the demolition process within the next six months. The project scope will cover the development of an 11 story hospital, a new Natomas Unified School District campus, medical offices, a healthcare facility for seniors, a childcare center, a retail component, residential units, and 25 acres of open space with parks and bike trails.
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Input of the CNU teaching hospital project team
According to Ashby, Kings supported the project by donating 35 acres of the 170-acre site to the hospital. The rest of the land at the site has been set aside for residential units, which will be used by faculty, students, senior citizens, and some units will also be offered to the general public, with at least 10% affordable housing.
An agreement has also been reached between the University and the Sacramento-Sierra Building & Construction Trades Council to build the CNU Teaching Hospital using local union labor. The project is expected to reach full build-out within 8 to 10 years.
Executive Director of the Sacramento-Sierra Building & Construction Trades Council, Kevin Ferreira said the Building Trades are privileged to take part in the CNU Teaching Hospital project. Ferreira pointed out that this partnership wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of Vice Mayor Ashby and the support of the Sacramento Kings.
