The City Council Tuesday took another big step toward turning a portion of the Old Sacramento Waterfront now cluttered with underused buildings and train tracks into a set of public gathering and play spaces that offer views and access to the city’s greatest natural asset, the Sacramento River.

Tuesday’s unanimous vote means staff can now move ahead to the design and environmental review phases of the $47-million project after a feasibility review period that included 45 stakeholder meetings. Funding will come from hotel taxes freed up after Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg called for a reexamining of the budget for the Convention Center remodeling, and hoteliers agreed to self-fund one of the ballrooms.

Richard Rich, the City’s Riverfront Project Manager, said construction could begin in 2021, and the new venues could be open by 2023. The state parks department, which owns one-third of Old Sacramento, is also working on plans to upgrade its property, including a park along the water west of the Railroad Museum. Private developers are also showing new interest in building hotels and other attractions.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am about this plan because I know the people of Sacramento have been waiting for something like this for a long time,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg. “This represents an absolute breakthrough decades in the making. What I love is the combination of a real destination for nightlife and a family and kid friendly environment.”

Pictured below are the renderings and descriptions of the city’s three main projects. Rich cautioned that the actual design work has yet to be completed and could change substantially. The plans call for topping the Sacramento History Museum with an event deck, remaking the Front Street corridor along the waterfront and rebuilding the docks that lead down to the water.