It was a plan hatched by two friends under the Eiffel Tower a decade ago. Developer Michael Heller Jr. and gallery owner Paul Thiebaud decided they wanted to collaborate on a building. Talk turned serious when Heller snapped up a midtown lot at 20th Street and Capitol Avenue this summer. The duo are planning a tribute to their fathers: Michael Heller Sr. was a long-time Sacramento developer and builder who died last year, and Wayne Thiebaud is an internationally known artist. The Tribute building, as it’s being called, will be four stories of offices and retail. It will feature a three-sided glass tile mosaic on the west side that would be visible from almost any angle on Capitol Avenue. There would also be art exhibits throughout the building.
Sacramento’s planning and design commissions are expected to review the project next month. If all falls into place, construction could begin in the spring.