Stoel Rives, City of Sacramento Win Major Appellate Victory on Behalf of Railyards Project

Sacramento, CA — Stoel Rives client City of Sacramento prevailed in two appellate cases that challenged a trial court decision regarding the Sacramento Railyards project. In the two decisions the Third District Court of Appeal held that the city complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in its adoption of the Railyards Specific Plan and the Railyards Redevelopment Plan. In 2009, a Stoel Rives trial team prevailed at the trial court level, when Sacramento Superior Court Judge Lloyd Connelly ruled that the city and its Redevelopment Agency complied in all respects with CEQA requirements.

The Railyards project was envisioned as a multibillion-dollar redevelopment expected to add more than 12,000 residential units, 2.3 million square feet of office space, 1.4 million square feet of retail space, nearly 500,000 square feet of mixed-use space and 46 acres of parks and other open space.  Since the 2009 approval of the project and in coordination with other significant redevelopment efforts throughout downtown Sacramento, a revised vision for the project has emerged.  The city is currently evaluating proposals that include retaining residential, office, retail, park and open space uses and adding a regional medical facility and a major league soccer stadium within the project site.

Kristen Castaños and Tim Taylor, who led the Stoel Rives trial and appellate litigation teams, said the decision will allow project development to proceed after years of delay imposed by litigation.

In addition to Castaños and Taylor, the Stoel Rives Railyards litigation effort was supported by Allison Smith, Greg Gatto, Ha Nguyen, Juliet Cho and Parissa Florez.