From left are Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Greater Sacramento Economic Council president and CEO Barry Broome, River District executive director Devin Strecker and Alchemist Community Development Corporation CEO Sam Greenlee speak at a groundbreaking ceremony on April 9 in Sacramento. 

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Politicians, entrepreneurs, journalists and others met at a dirt lot surrounded by warehouses on April 9 in Sacramento’s River District. The crowd assembled for a groundbreaking ceremony for a project that will help transform this area north of the Grid from an industrial area into a residential one.  

The Alchemist Public Market has been six years in the making, with about $16.5 million raised for its construction. Once completed next year, the facility on the 0.82-acre lot at 341 N. 10th Street will consist of two main buildings, according to an economic report published in April. 

The first building will house a 3,700 sq. ft. all-electric commissary kitchen shared by entrepreneurs who will use it to prepare food for catering events, pop-up markets or packaged products. Up to seven businesses could use the space at one time. There will also be a cafe with coffee, grab-and-go meals, beer and wine and locally made goods. 

The second building will house office, meeting and classroom space. Planned community uses include a mobile library, a voting center, health screenings and resource fairs. The central courtyard will feature four permanent vendor stalls called pods and four all-electric food-trailers, one of which will be reserved for pickup orders from several businesses. This area will also be home to a weekly outdoor farmers market with up to eight vendors. 

The project creator is the Alchemist Community Development Corporation, a non-profit founded in 2004 that operates several food-related programs, including several farmers’ markets and The Alchemist Kitchen, which provides business training. Participants in the Kitchen program will be able to use the facilities at the new public market. The goal is for them to grow their business out of the space and eventually move elsewhere. 

From left are Barry Broome, Kevin McCarty, Doris Matsui, Devin Strecker and Sam Greenlee break ground on the Alchemist Public Market on April 9 at the River District in Sacramento.

At the groundbreaking, Alchemist CEO Sam Greenlee told the crowd the project originated in June 2020. At that time, the plan was to convert a historic property in Old Sacramento into a centralized location for the nonprofit. The scope was expanded as funding was secured from institutions including Columbia Bank, Sutter Health, the city, the state and the federal government. 

“It was a big, fragile idea from a small nonprofit, and the idea could have died quickly if we didn't find people and institutions willing to courageously support the vision,” Greenlee said. 

Devin Strecker, the executive director of the River District, was another guest speaker. He spoke on the growing need for projects like this in the area, and said, “The questions I get asked most by my fellow residents are, 'When will we get a coffee shop?’ Where will we have somewhere to buy groceries, not in bulk?’ ‘And when will we get somewhere new to eat?’ Well, with the Alchemist Public Market, I can answer all those questions… as soon as this is built.”

The other three guest speakers were Barry Broom, who is the president and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, along with Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty and Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

McCarty said when it comes to bringing people together through food and supporting entrepreneurs, this project “checks all the boxes.” Matsui praised Alchemist, saying, “Their work exemplifies how a community partner can raise the floor for our neighbors and the up-and-coming entrepreneurs,” and “I can't be prouder of what is happening in our own backyard.”

Several participants in Alchemist’s business incubator, who will sell at the public market once completed, operated booths at the groundbreaking. One of them was Dante Williams, owner of Black Coffee Roastery. He operates an espresso cart in Rancho Cordova, and his coffee will be for sale at the cafe at the public market. He said the new community kitchen will be a resource many small business owners like himself wouldn't have access to otherwise. 

“It's amazing. The space is going to be a wonderful opportunity for entrepreneurs to be able to highlight, showcase their businesses, be able to make some money, as well as a space to prep,” Williams said. He called the River District “an up-and-coming area,” and he was “excited to see how it comes to fruition and develops.”

The air at the groundbreaking smelled of freshly baked bread coming from a booth operated by Corrin McKellips of Sacramento, owner of Warm Nuts & Hot Buns. She has been in business for about a year and will operate out of one of the food pods at the public kitchen, which she called “fantastic.”

Other vendors included Jerk Street Tacos, owned by Ramon and Nikki Chester; Nacho House, owned by Danielle Green and LaKrisha Kelley; and Sugar Coated Cupcakes, owned by LaQueanya Henry.

Henry started her business in a food cart and has since expanded into a storefront in the Tahoe Park neighborhood. She will have a trailer at the public market. She said, “It's a great opportunity, more than anything, for small businesses in the area.”