Today’s newsletter is presented by Kaiser Permanente.
Hello, Navajo and College Area!
Driving down Del Cerro Boulevard, it’s hard not to notice the chain-link fence lining the street and the now-dilapidated buildings, once home to Madra Liquor and a fitness gym. While not the easiest to look at, I wonder just how the street will change after a six-story mixed-use development, proposed for that spot, gets built.
But as the months pass by, the buildings along Del Cerro have fallen into disrepair. As is the case with any small and tight-knit community, rumors have swirled; the developer has abandoned the project, and permits have expired.
We asked our hard-working intern, Nicole Abrams, to look into the status of the permits and just what is really happening with the development.
As always, Nicole The Intern did not disappoint.
The big news: The project has a new owner. The former owner, Jeff Katz, and his Tapestry Development Company have sold the project to a San Diego-based venture capital company, Jakob Ventures.
While the new owner, Kevin Woo, who owns the company with his wife, has introduced himself to the local planning group and other neighborhood groups, news of the change of ownership wasn’t reported.
In an interview and subsequent email thread, Woo told our Nicole Abrams that while his company is the new owner, the plans to construct a six-story mixed-use development remain largely unchanged.
“Jakob Ventures acquired the property approximately one year ago with a clear objective: to transform a long-vacant, underutilized site into a thoughtfully designed mixed-use community that provides much-needed middle-income housing, neighborhood-serving retail, and long-term value for Del Cerro,” Woo wrote in an email about the project.
Woo said he hopes the new “middle-income” units will provide new housing opportunities for teachers, first responders and young professionals.
And while Woo views the development as an opportunity to bring opportunities to Del Cerro, community members are still concerned about the project’s size and scope, and of course, the parking challenges the project could bring.
Planning chair and Del Cerro resident John Hoy said that he appreciates Woo’s willingness to engage with the community, but many of the residents he’s heard from are still far from supportive of the project.
As for a timeline, Woo says no construction date has been set. The company is submitting the necessary permits and still needs city approval for the project.
That means the chain-link fence and abandoned buildings will remain for some time.
Dorian Hargrove
Mission Times newsletter host
Navajo, College Area story spotlight
Proposed Del Cerro building shifts owners
By Nicole Abrams • Times of San Diego
A new owner has taken over the development of two Del Cerro parcels where a large mixed-use building is proposed.
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