A New & Improved Southgate Plaza Is In The Works

Southgate Plaza in the early 1960s.



The shopping center in 2004.



Exciting changes are in store for Southgate Plaza, at the intersection of Florin Road and Franklin Boulevard!

Sandy Sigal, the president and CEO of the center’s landlord NewMark Merrill, told the Sacramento Business Journal this summer that, “Southgate Plaza has always had a great location, with great visibility to the community. After making a large investment in both the physical appearance of the center, as well as providing events to make the community feel very welcomed and to spend more time here, we believe that Southgate Plaza will be a long-term asset to Sacramento.” (source: SBJ, 07/28/14)

A $6 million revitalization of the shopping center is in progress, including parking and landscaping upgrades, new paint and signage, and improved security.

A Walmart Neighborhood Market plans to open at the plaza in the summer of 2015. The market will fill approximately 50,000 square feet in the former Walmart building. This building has been vacant since 2009 when the retailer relocated to a larger Walmart Supercenter at Florin Towne Centre, east of Highway 99. The remaining 80,000 square feet of the building will be marketed by the landlord to prospective tenants. This space may be subdivided to accommodate multiple tenants.

Ross Dress for Less will be a few doors down from the market. The 27,300 square foot store plans to open in the first quarter of 2015. Ross is returning to the center after leaving several years ago.

F&M Bank also plans to open on February 17, 2015 at Southgate Plaza. The bank will relocate from their Franklin Boulevard location and move into part of the former Blockbuster building.

Budget Mobile, a new arrival to the Florin Road corridor. opened in the center in October. Budget Mobile provides government assisted wireless service to low-income families and individuals.

Learn About September 2012 Regional Transit Service Improvements

Effective Sunday, September 2, 2012, Sacramento Regional Transit District will implement major service improvements.  This includes extending night service on light rail and nine major bus routes, increasing frequency on highly-utilized bus routes, and restructuring bus routes to better serve riders.

Stop by one of RT's information booths to learn about changes that may affect your route.

Thursday, August 9

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Broadway light rail station

3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Meadowview light rail station

  

Thursday, August 16

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Florin Towne Centre Transit Center (65th Street and Sky Parkway)

Tuesday, August 28

1 p.m. to 3 p.m. - Cosumnes River College Transit Center (Bruceville Road east entrance) and City College light rail station

The September 2012 service changes are the first-year of TransitRenewal service improvements based on community input. TransitRenewal is a comprehensive operational analysis of the RT bus and light rail system.  It resulted in recommendations on how to restore, restructure and "renew" transit service through 2017. 

New pocket timetables and the September 2012 Bus & Light Rail Timetable Book/System Map will be available at the RT Customer Service and Sales Center located at 1225 R Street (adjacent to the 13th Street light rail station) beginning Monday, August 27.

New Tenants Coming to Florin Towne Centre

Word on the street is that some exciting changes are coming to Florin Towne Centre (the former Florin Mall):

Sizzler plans to open by early Spring of this year. (Keep your fingers crossed that this dry weather holds!) 

A restaurant is interested in the space formerly occupied by Eatza Pizza.  We hear that it's a new concept out of the San Francisco Bay Area.  Any guesses? (hint:  It's NOT pizza.)

And another soon-to-be-disclosed restaurant is looking to open at Florin Towne Centre.  (Wow, good thing the centre is also home to 24 Hour Fitness!)

Chase Bank plans to expand their presence in our business district by opening a second branch. Don't worry, we're told that the Chase branch at Southgate Plaza is doing well and plans to stay open.

Interior and exterior renovations are in the works for the Sears building.  (We're hearing that easier access to and from the rest of the centre is part of the plan.)

Look for holiday and community events throughout the year to draw shoppers to Florin Towne Centre.  (Yup, that means photo ops with the Easter Bunny and Santa!) 

Free Coffee at Florin Road McDonald's Restaurants

Ring in the new year with a FREE cup of joe at Sacramento-area McDonald's restaurants!

Starting Monday, January 2, 2012 through Sunday, January 15, you can get a free, small cup of coffee during business hours with no purchase necessary. 

There are 3 McDonald's restaurants in our business district:

• 2335 Florin Road (near 24th Street)
• 4124 Florin Road (at Southgate Plaza)
• 6091 Florin Road (at Florin Towne Centre).

RadioShack Recycles

You know that you’re not supposed to throw old batteries and cellphones into the trash, right?  But you don’t want them lying around the house, either.  So what should you do?  Take them to RadioShack! 

The Shack accepts many types of rechargeable batteries for recycling (sorry, no alkaline, lithium non-rechargeable or wet-cell batteries.)  And they accept any and all wireless phones for recycling – regardless of their condition and with or without their chargers. 

For more information, please visit http://www.radioshackcorporation.com/citizenship/battery.php.  And be sure to visit our local Radio Shack store at 6029 Florin Road, Suite 100, in Florin Towne Centre.

Get Some Sizzle with that Steak!

A Sizzler restaurant is scheduled to open later this year or in early 2012 at Florin Towne Centre.  It will be one of the first locations built with Sizzler’s latest design and will be in 7,200 square feet near Starbucks.  Long-time area residents may remember that Sizzler once had a restaurant at Southgate Plaza at Florin and Franklin.  The colorful new design includes an open kitchen and improved menu selections.  The new eatery is expected to employ 100 to 120 workers. 

Kudos to Sleep Train’s Support of Foster Kids

Congratulations to our friends at Sleep Train for being honored with the Daily Point of Light award from the Points of Light Institute, a national organization dedicated to civic engagement and volunteering.  Sleep Train’s Foster Kids Program has donated more than $700,000 in cash to foster charity organizations. 

Last month their annual Shoe Drive for Foster Kids netted more than 6,500 pairs of shoes to benefit 20 regional foster-care partners.  The Clothing Drive for Foster Kids is underway through July 10.  You can donate new clothes for children and teens at local Sleep Train stores, including the one at Florin Towne Centre. 

For more information, please visit http://www.sleeptrain.com

Mmm, Mmm, Good!

Did you know you can buy delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables directly from California growers at a Certified Farmers’ Market (CFM)?  There is a year-round CFM in the front parking lot of Sears at Florin Towne Centre, every Thursday from 8:00 am to noon.  Over 35 farmers are represented at this open air venue.

Produce sold at the CFM is certified by the State of California to be grown by a California farmer.  Buying direct from the producer eliminates packing, shipping and wholesale costs.  This translates into savings for you!  And you have the opportunity to learn where you food comes from, how it’s grown, and how it can be prepared.  The CFMs offer FREE educational field trips to area schools and youth groups.  For more information about the field trips or the Florin CFM, please visit http://www.california-grown.com or call Renae Best at 916-688-0100.

Here are some tips for shopping at a CFM (courtesy of http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com):

These are outdoor markets so remember to dress for the weather and to wear comfortable shoes. 

ü  Bring your own large cloth or net shopping bags.  You can also bring a folding cart or use an old baby or toddler cart. 

ü  Bring small bills and change.  You will pay each farmer directly – there is no central checkout or ATM.  Consider using a fanny or waist pack to keep your hands free and your valuables safe.

ü  Walk through the entire market before you buy.  There are variations in prices for the same type and quality of produce.  It’s usually acceptable to bargain for large quantities but not for small amounts.  

ü  Most of the produce is tree or vine ripened.  It can be delicate to the touch and cosmetically challenged.  Please handle the items with care!

ü  If the farmer is not busy, ask questions about the produce, such as growing methods or recipes.  This is a great way to learn about a fruit or vegetable you haven’t tried before, or even one of your old favorites.

May Showers Bring Flowers

at Sears, Florin Towne Centre

The recent heavy rains, followed by warm temperatures, have brought out the flowers along the Florin Road corridor.  We know it can be hard to find the time to stop and smell the roses, so we did it for you – and took some photos to share. 



at FAMSA, Florin Towne Centre



Many thanks to the merchants and property owners who keep our district looking “Clean and Green”.  And special thanks to our cleanup crew, House of Hope.  Since 2008 they have worked tirelessly five-days a week, every week (rain or shine!) to remove graffiti, dumped items, and illegally posted signs along the corridor.  In 2010 they collected over 2,000 bags of trash from the public right-of-way and returned hundreds of abandoned shopping carts to stores.

 

at our office

               

at F&M Bank, Florin & Franklin



at Stockton Square






 

















Welcome to the Neighborhood, Little Caesars!

We're happy to announce that Little Caesars pizza now has a second location in our business district, at 2829 Florin Road, Sacramento.  This is in the former Autozone building across from the Florin Road light rail station.
 
You can also visit Little Caesars at the east end of our district, at 7215 Stockton Boulevard, Suite 101, Sacramento.  They're in The Shops at Florin, across from Florin Towne Centre.

For more information about Little Caesars restaurants, please visit http://littlecaesars.com/