39: Building a Thriving Capital City: Michael Ault on Downtown Leadership, Teamwork, and Resilience

Bucking the Trend: Sacramento’s Downtown Comeback

So, what makes Sacramento different? According to an NBC News report, the Downtown Sacramento business openings outpaced closures two to one. This is a pleasant surprise since many cities are losing downtown businesses.

Michael shared that Sacramento is not relying on the traditional Monday through Friday workforce. He feels downtowns are realizing that remote work is here to stay in some capacity, and this shift is helping it stay successful. Restaurants are seeing more people, and hotels are experiencing increased traffic.

Thanks to leisure travel bouncing back strongly and promotion from Visit Sacramento, Sacramento is becoming a go-to destination. These factors have been key in contributing to the downtown’s rebound.

Social Collisions and the Value of In-Person Interactions

Ever heard of a “social collision?” Neither had I. Michael used this phrase to describe those random, but important, conversations that happen when people are in the office together.

He pointed out how crucial those water cooler moments and quick chats can be for brainstorming, mentoring, and collaboration. These substantive dialogues give valuable feedback; you just don’t get that working remotely.

This concept made me think about the value of being present with colleagues. These moments are invaluable for team growth and project success.

Here are the values gained from social collisions and meaningful interactions:

• Increased team collaboration.
• Mentorship and development opportunities for staff.
• Generation of feedback that impacts progress and processes.

Michael Ault’s 25-Year Vision for Downtown Sacramento

25 years in one job? That is unheard of these days. Michael revealed he initially planned to stay for only a year.

The Downtown Partnership started as a marketing and promotions organization focused on events. It grew into a business improvement district providing services like clean and safe initiatives, marketing, and advocacy.

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership also contributes to local news and informs residents of city reports to improve transparency and trust in the Sacramento City area.

From Small Beginnings to a Major Force

Michael described the organization’s early days with just three employees and a small budget. The Downtown Partnership team now has 54 staff and an $8 million budget. This budget supports managing public space services, local and national lobbying, marketing, and recruitment of new businesses.

The growth shows how much this organization believes and makes an impact. Michael added that his work is legacy work because what the team does today helps generate an urban center that the entire region can be proud of.

They facilitate collaboration. Michael shared, “Regions are defined by their downtowns and the identity.”

Embracing Change and New Opportunities

It is essential to renew business improvement districts every 10 years. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership is currently working to renew for another decade.

Approval is currently at 75%, so this gives hope to the Downtown Partnership that Sacramento has trust that they know what is best for Sacramento’s future. Pre-COVID, Sacramento had 100,000 employees downtown daily, but it is about two-thirds of that now.

Michael wants the state to consider housing opportunities when considering Sacramento’s underutilized state office buildings. Thanks to Visit Sacramento and their team, restaurants and hotels are thriving, and major festivals happen.

To assist new businesses in downtown Sacramento, the partnership offers opening assistance and broker resources to help them thrive in the Sacramento city center.

Key Projects and Investments Shaping Downtown Sacramento

Michael highlighted some key projects driving growth and success in the area. Check out the Downtown Sacramento development map, which shows that investment is improving our city.

The city doubled the size of the convention center, opened new hotels, and invested in residential housing. The groundbreaking of the $2 billion Kaiser Medical Center will encourage employees to spend discretionary money. And, of course, there is the potential for the A’s in West Sacramento.

This recent action follows the approval by city leaders of a plan to revitalize historic Old Sacramento, an essential component of Sacramento city life. This plan, funded by Transient Occupancy Taxes, aims to breathe life into the waterfront in Old Sacramento, improve food options, and make it easier to make reservations.

In downtown, a new 400-room hotel is being constructed next to the Safe Credit Union Convention Center to draw traffic. This will offer more hotel rooms near the convention center.

Speaking of hotels, check out The Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, an ideal option for a Downtown Sac experience that allows conference goers and sports fanatics to enjoy Sacramento city.

Addressing Challenges and Perceptions in Sacramento City

Like any downtown area, Sacramento faces its share of issues. Homelessness and social realities are challenges, so perception of our Sacramento city’s landscape and overall experience is essential.

The leaders’ goal is that with the latest initiatives, citizens’ reception can improve. They know visitors are more likely to keep returning if they have a quality Sacramento city experience. If citizens love the Sacramento city core, then word-of-mouth will only increase, and visitors will trust the quality of our experiences.

The City Council recognizes the importance of events. They support them by increasing Visit Sacramento’s budget to increase the production of iconic events.

This encourages more tourism and an active local culture, as tourism is sure to increase as new and tenured Sacramentans tell of their experiences. Additionally, support has been shown in approving potential financial assistance for convention center hotel needs, hopefully filling those rooms with residents from out of town.

Sacramento City Council additionally invested in safety on a program that will lead to increased revitalization via the Sacramento city and safety measures taken so all Sacramento residents are proud and continue sharing the exciting news on Sacramento’s development.

Sacramento leaders also expect that infrastructure projects, such as $47 million in waterfront park improvements funded with revenues from Transient Occupancy Taxes, will contribute significantly. These waterfront improvements are intended to make the Sacramento waterfront a destination location.

The city’s commitment to Sacramento waterfront enhancements and other public space services is a key component of its revitalization strategy.

The Key to Success is Sacramento’s Strong Team

Here is a look at organizations with X accounts showcasing constant action being done in real-time:

• Downtown Sac Partnership on X

He made sure to share that to do a quality Sacramento city transformation, a committed team of workers is essential for an ever-growing project, as Sacramento continues to take initiative.

But it goes even deeper than that. His employees were even the subject of his re-evaluation of some things. Michael had a revelation about needing to give his employees the ability to step up as a voice and take responsibility.

The goal is to contribute with trust fully. Hence, it wasn’t always “waiting on Michael Ault to step up” and getting to an opportunity and contribution stage together as a team with shared values to see progress and even saying how with some staff, they are the ones who improve the organization’s social media game on X, bringing their leader down memory lane of 27 years in Sacramento city, and sharing a bit about where things were.

They contribute to what is still progressing. He is humble enough to let it run its own course for an increasingly impressive Downtown partnership as a team.

Also, Sacramento City Downtown is proud to make great efforts each year to celebrate with others on platforms like TikTok in real time as the culture develops. The Sacramento Downtown Partnership is dedicated to capturing the essence of these moments.

Here’s what Michael is looking for when it comes to what makes a person ideal:

• Good collaboration and someone easy to work with among all staff.
• Ability to move forward despite losses.
• Great communicators who have initiative with an open communication style to add perspective on things when challenges may arise.

That collaboration makes them operate less in “silos” or as Michael joked about being just an organization, to being just an individual who can impact local things, rather an effective organization that helps each other out when others’ struggles in professional situations.

What does he want from this team? An urban area that understands where their colleagues are all coming from.

so their peers can better adjust to challenges that impact them, or a more challenging workplace, as it continues to tick upward, with open dialogue as the top tool. This ensures everyone contributes to the Sacramento city experience.

Navigating Challenges and Deficiencies of Ault’s Long Tenure with Sacramento City Revitalization

No one is perfect, and Michael is open about his weaknesses. He has a tendency to take things too personally, especially when people don’t support his initiatives.

That being said, to continue moving up, they realize people come down extra tough when success and hard impacts have come over the long haul to improve on public view, as success does come after a long history. That can happen if you focus that much with complete contact in it after years to contribute progress with others, you want each opinion or contribution that can have great value with collaboration to hear every Sacramento resident as best you can with an honest attempt.

Plus, being involved at such close hand to progress also puts the opinion out, with you front and center, it seems. Those words shared aren’t always with negative or destructive intent, but all of them do not fall together in an upward journey for Sacramento as an economy either, and some get hurt more, along with more praise to all, too.

It can happen as more attention gets shed, especially more recently than in times when they are more removed from positive progress, to move in as well. So they remember to improve with not just positive growth to move on the up and up or improvements overall, especially now a days when they are given more spotlight after coming in success over a very lengthy timeline as well.

This does not translate into what should be what everyone may want, nor does everyone contributing there or doing so with a positive outlook deserve, whether to or for, but those involved, nevertheless, may remember to get something in return.

Additionally, Michael needs to work to switch his tendency to be involved too tightly. This makes him always at work, which then reduces his attentiveness in professional environments since he doesn’t pause for personal matters. Without slow times, this can impact relations that put together how he handles them and not improve by focusing on improving.

Then people close at times, if ever the boss may slacken to feel the effects, especially because for him, those relations and his family matter most, as being most at one with success has taken with himself. A reminder to make the work environment not seem like it always gets more critical, the best version of one’s actual contribution.

So now people, staff, and beyond know that even with the contributions each can make and remember, everyone still matters to adjust how those times best work or should improve those connections. Because Michael will take even over 19 or some over his personal goals to not think it is always a weakness with balance of best intent in an organization.

But it also requires him not needing it for now, the better for contribution, to improve, if always, those professional interactions as needed.

FAQs about Downtown Sacramento revitalization

What is the Downtown Sacramento Partnership?

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership serves as Sacramento City’s business improvement district, responsible for services and activities. This helps make Sacramento a region where Sacramento residents, as an urban center, are proud to take root and develop towards future initiatives.

This includes employees who are committed to making a quality local contribution. The Downtown Sacramento Foundation is vital in supporting these community-focused initiatives.

What key projects are driving revitalization in Downtown Sacramento?

A host of exciting actions from Sacramento are happening across local communities, from growing Sacramento’s very own Sacramento City center to increased financial development thanks to a hospital that came and an additional one planned.

There is also additional infrastructure with better resident housing, where much financial investment has taken root, and progress is coming. Plus, for an incredible Kaiser and what it’s planning there, additional progress is coming.

How is Downtown Sacramento addressing homelessness and safety concerns?

With so much emphasis on homelessness in progress or challenges, Sacramento will strive, as the rest, to do everything for their people’s voices for safety that may stem from the action on one level over all. Which may also come or fall towards any direction along progress on an important opportunity to show.

Those who give any insight into an organized commitment have their share given with full impact as residents. Sacramento City Council is dedicated to improving public safety services.

Conclusion

Sacramento is at a pivotal moment. Through Michael Ault’s leadership and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s vision, Sacramento city has made significant progress.

Even from a significant collaboration, a renewed focus, all has to lead to this positive downtown area momentum towards an improved quality with Downtown Sacramento revitalization as the Sacramento Kings bring everyone into another light, whether from California to any of Sacramento City’s doors, will provide in every moment.

The ongoing public meetings and city reports will keep the community engaged in this exciting transformation as Sacramento embraces new opportunities and tackles ongoing challenges in its central city.