Stantec Among Design Firms Selected to Revitalize Old Sacramento Waterfront as Part of Design Competition

In a bold move to revitalize the Old Sacramento Waterfront, the City of Sacramento announced its finalists as part of its Waterfront Idea Makers Program, an initiative to develop original design concepts that reimagine the City’s historic business district and its riverfront. Stantec—a global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with 400 offices and more than 22,000 staff worldwide (including 200 staff and two offices in the City of Sacramento)—is one of five design teams selected by the City to help reimagine the Old Sacramento Waterfront.

The Old Sacramento Waterfront is a 28-acre national historic landmark and state historic park that preserves an 1850s Gold Rush-era waterfront, complete with sailing vessels, paddle wheelers, original commercial buildings, and boardwalks—all coming together to create a historic atmosphere. The waterfront marked the starting point of the Central Pacific Railroad’s construction to the east, designed to meet the Union Pacific. The Old Sacramento Waterfront is also home to numerous unique events throughout the year, including the Theater of Lights during the holiday season. It hosts several historic events each year, including the 150^th commemoration of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 2019.

Stantec’s international waterfront design experts will collaborate closely with the firm’s Sacramento-based architects, landscape architects, architectural historians, engineers, environmental scientists, and wildlife biologists to develop a world class plan that is transformative, innovative, authentic, and achievable. The team plans to draw on its global experience in designing destinations to reconnect Old Sacramento to the City’s present and its boundless future. Supporting the local team is the firm’s Urban Places Group which includes nationally and internationally recognized leaders from a variety of disciplines, recognized for landmark projects in locations throughout North America.

“Sacramento is a uniquely diverse city with a rich history and character. Our team wants to celebrate its incredible assets, while further enhancing Sacramento’s connectivity and quality of life,” said Brian Crilly, Stantec architect, design lead, and lifelong Sacramentan. “The Old Sacramento Waterfront is popular with visitors, but it shouldn’t be an area that only serves out-of-towners. Our goal is to reconnect Old Sacramento as a vibrant destination with the rest of our neighborhoods and districts. And, of course, we must start by connecting it with the water—visually, physically, and audibly— to revitalize what was once our lifeline.”

“The Waterfront Idea Makers is such a tremendous opportunity, not only for designers and Stantec, but for our entire community. I can’t wait to see what is presented. It is a dream we have all imagined, and it’s time to bring it to reality.”

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That’s why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind. We care about the communities we serve—because they’re our communities too. This allows us to assess what’s needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what’s never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success. We’re designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.