Project Elevate Aims For A City-Center Feel In Elk Grove

This is part of a series of stories focusing on growth in the city of Elk Grove.

In Elk Grove, Sky River Casino has become a destination for the Sacramento region. Old Town Elk Grove has more visibility and activity than in decades.

But for Elk Grove to develop a feel as something more than just subdivisions and strip malls, no project may have as much potential impact as the city’s Project Elevate.

“We realize we’re a suburban, bedroom community,” said Darrell Doan, the city’s economic development director. “We don’t want to be just that. We want to provide all the amenities and services we can for our citizens.”

Planned for 20 acres of city-owned land on the southeast corner of Big Horn and Elk Grove boulevards, Project Elevate is intended to be a modern city center of sorts, built from the ground up with components such as housing, retail, office and hospitality.

Doan said the land was acquired as part of the city’s civic center project to put city functions in one place, but the land itself has remained commercially zoned. Because it’s owned by the city, he said, Elk Grove can control the land’s development destiny more easily.