Site Visit and New Renderings – Alchemist Public Market

Dreyfuss + Blackford (Kris Barkley, Jennifer Krauter, Brian Lefholz, Sugra Panvelwala, Brian Lefholz, Ricardo Zamora, with Will Smith behind the camera). Alchemist CDC (Jacob Sacks, Joe Robustelli, Emma Burke, Sam Greenlee). Alchemist Kitchen Incubator: Regina Range (The Burnt Skillet), Jasmine Bonilla (Jazz’s Saucy Sauce), Justin Yu (Feel Good Vegan), Christopher Boone (Boone’s Red Onions), Pamela Marquez (Puzz-e-Gata Jamaica).

The field immediately behind the crowd will be the new River District city park. Behind that, currently fenced, is the future home of Alchemist Public Market.

Andrew Kehoe, Liaison from the Mayor’s Office of Civic Engagement, speaking

Viewing the renderings: Nia Jones (Office of Congresswoman Doris Matsui)

Derek Kirk, Regional Business Development Specialist, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz)

Julius Austin (SHRA) and Pedar Bruce (Umpqua Bank)

Jenna Abbott, Executive Director of The River District

Conversations after the event: Mikel Davila (City of Sacramento Office of Economic Development), Lynette Hall (Community Engagement, City of Sacramento), Nicole Cuellar (Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Mayor), Denise Malvetti (Interim Economic Development Manager, City of Sacramento)

Julius Austin, Promise Zone Coordinator at SHRA

Viewing the new rendering: Rob Kerth (SMUD Director), Jenna Abbott, Brian Lefholz (Dreyfuss + Blackford)

Brian Lefholz describing the plan to Alchemist Kitchen Incubator Participants Pamela Marquez (Puzz-e-gata Jamaica) and Jasmine Bonilla (Jazz’s Saucy Sauce)

Conversation at the table: Sam Greenlee (Alchemist CDC), Sydnie Whitesel (Office of Assemblymember McCarty), Matthew Joy (Alchemist CDC Board Member and Tri Counties Bank), Jacob Sacks (Alchemist CDC)

Alchemist Community Developm ent Corporation (Alchemist CDC) was pleased to reveal the new design for Alchemist Public Market (APM) on Friday, October 22, during a visit to the project site in Sacramento’s River District with elected officials and key stakeholders.

Speakers at the event included Sacramento City Councilman Jeff Harris (D3), Andrew Kehoe (Liaison from Mayor Steinberg’s Office of Civic Engagement), Derek Kirk (Regional Business Development Specialist, California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development [GO-Biz]), Jenna Abbott (Executive Director, The River District), Julius Austin (Sacramento Promise Zone Coordinator, SHRA), and Sam Greenlee (Executive Director, Alchemist CDC).

Alchemist Public Market’s previous concept was oriented toward adaptive reuse of an existing building, but the shift to 341 N 10^th St, just one block away from the Mirasol Village project, brought the possibility of new construction with a customer build that could model innovative and sustainable practices. Dreyfuss + Blackford Architecture is providing pro bono architectural work for the project and has developed a design that is simultaneously iconic and conducive to providing a needed community gathering place.

Building on Alchemist CDC’s areas of expertise, the project will be an engine of inclusive economic development, small business creation, workforce development, food access, and community-building. Alchemist Public Market will feature an all-electric commissary kitchen to incubate dozens of new food business; outdoor food court with eight incubator restaurants; social enterprise café providing job training and placement; retail store featuring Sacramento-made products from small businesses; co-working office; and weekly farmers’ market. Sacramento non-profit, NorCal Resist, will run the cafe and beer-and-wine service on site, providing paid job training and placement for Sacramento-area residents with high barriers to employment. NorCal Resist has a substantial local track record of supporting and empowering some of the region’s most vulnerable residents.

Alchemist Public Market is a member of the Northern California Farm to Fork Innovation Coalition (F2FIC), a collaborative effort led by University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) seeking primary funding from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) Build Back Better grant program. If awarded, APM will receive $6 million in federal funding to be combined with a $1.5 million match from other sources to be made up of other sources.

Alchemist CDC is a Sacramento-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization that connects communities to land, food, and opportunity toward a vision in which every neighborhood is vibrant, equitable, healthy, and diverse. We are best known for enhancing the quality of life in under-resourced communities by improving access to nutritious foods, implementing community-supported public green spaces, and fostering economic self-sufficiency through business entrepreneurship.