The downtown construction pace continues unabated, and Little Italy is a good part of that development. Approved last May by Civic San Diego, the “520 W Ash” apartment project is moving ahead. While this will …
March 10, 2016
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Stories by David Batterson
Little Italy (n) - area of luxury high-rise apartments
State Controller to Douglas Manchester:
Every year the office of California State Controller Betty T. Yee accumulates more millions of dollars that belong to individuals and companies throughout California. These amounts range from as low as 1¢ to five figures. …
February 17, 2016
Former diner to become beauty mall
When Harvey Milk's American Diner closed in October 2014, the space attracted interest from other restaurateurs, including Phil Pace (of Phil's BBQ fame), but nothing panned out. The building's interior has been gutted to its …
February 12, 2016
Party's over, go to sleep
The long-empty space that housed three former nightclubs in Hillcrest will open as a Sleep Train mattress store in April. This was confirmed December 31 by Jennifer Ritchie, with Sleep Train's PR firm, Revolution Public …
January 7, 2016
"Stunning" fast-food experience promised
The long-closed Coco's restaurant at 2644 El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights is finally scheduled for demolition. The site will become a Starbucks coffee shop. Realtor Mike Clark with Cushman & Wakefield said they “had …
December 15, 2015
Check 'n Go checks out of North Park
The Check 'n Go store at 2509 El Cajon Boulevard in North Park has closed down. Activist Omar Passons, former president of North Park Community Association, welcomed the exit, saying, “I think it is a …
December 8, 2015
From thrift to spiff in Hillcrest
The building in Hillcrest that previously housed Legends Furniture store, then a Revivals thrift shop, and currently a Thrift Trader, will be razed. No demolition date has been set. Property owner FoundationForForm, a San Diego …
October 27, 2015
Longtime sex-toy shop shuts down in Hillcrest
The Crypt, a sex toy/fetish shop at 3847 Park Boulevard, has shut its doors. Today an eviction notice was seen on the front door of the establishment. The “pay rent or surrender possession” document indicates …
September 18, 2015
Will CivicSD approve Trump-like sign for old Sempra HQ?
Manchester Financial Group now owns 49 percent of the downtown building that formerly housed Sempra Energy, at 101 Ash Street. It bought the minority share in the property for $20 million, reported the San Diego …
July 29, 2015
Supermarket slump?
The staffing cutbacks announced July 14 for Haggen supermarkets throughout Southern California have included San Diego. A conversation July 15 with two North Park Haggen employees (who had to remain anonymous) revealed that the store …
July 16, 2015
Pernicano's out
If all goes according to plan, a new hotel will eventually rise on the Hillcrest property where once stood Pernicano's and Casa di Baffi restaurants. The property fronts on both Fifth and Sixth avenues in …
July 11, 2015
Destruction continues before the groundbreaking
A July 5 fire at the long-vacant former AT&T building at 4220 Arizona Street (off the intersection of Texas Street and Howard Avenue) caused minor damage to the structure, which was already scheduled for demolition. …
July 7, 2015
Storytime on Broadway
Under review before Civic San Diego is a proposal to build two mixed-use towers downtown — one 21 stories and one 41 — on a blighted block along Broadway. The project, temporarily called “Broadway Block,” …
June 5, 2015
Atmosphere project no longer up in the air
On March 25, 2010, the Reader published a story titled “What's Up with the Big Cortez Hole?” The hyped Atmosphere condo development had fizzled and left a giant construction hole between Fourth and Fifth avenues …
May 8, 2015
Who’s minding San Diego’s council districts?
A long-vacant apartment building at 3926/3926 ½ Mississippi Street in North Park remains in violation of San Diego Ordinance O-20203 (“abatement of abandoned properties”), passed in October 2012. A building is deemed an abandoned property …
March 10, 2015
They said, he said
Revivals, the nonprofit thrift store at 1644 University Avenue in Hillcrest, will close down on February 28. It will not be relocating. Opened February 7, 2011, by Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) in Palm Springs, Revivals …
February 10, 2015
Poor Radio Shack
The RadioShack Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing will result in store closings across the U.S. The company has posted a “potential store closure list” that includes nine stores in San Diego and the surrounding metro area. …
February 7, 2015
Bring in the big cats
Civic San Diego is expected to approve the installation of two guardian lion statues at the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum downtown. The statues, about ten feet tall including pedestals, will stand on the sidewalks …
January 20, 2015
Blame the geeks
While the limited-stop Rapid 215 bus route has been operating since October 12 (it was scheduled to begin service August 31), it's a different story with the electronic sign technology called Variable-Message Signs. There are …
December 22, 2014
North Park vibe spreads north
While the renovated Lafayette Hotel on El Cajon Boulevard in University Heights has raised the bar, commercial properties nearby haven’t been so successful. Going west on El Cajon Boulevard from Louisiana Street to Florida Street, …
December 7, 2014
Great spot for another bare-beamed brewhouse?
A longtime popular discount fashion, toiletries, toys, and gifts store at 3002 University Avenue is now in liquidation. Discount International Fashions is selling all its merchandise and must vacate the premises by the end of …
November 7, 2014
Future still iffy for Harvey Milk's American Diner
While a previous written statement on the front door of Harvey Milk's American Diner indicated it was closed for reorganization, that's not likely to happen. One of the Hillcrest restaurant's three partners, Frank Lechner, refused …
October 23, 2014
What the F?
F Street Adult Video & Gifts at 2002/2004 University Avenue in North Park has been closed since last year, when it went on sale. The building is now undergoing major interior renovation, with trucks and …
September 22, 2014
Space for a Shack in Hillcrest?
RadioShack Corporation's September 11 announcement of second-quarter financial results strongly suggested that store closings are coming. Joseph C. Magnacca, chief executive officer, said the company “may need additional capital.” Magnacca also announced possible “debt restructuring” …
September 13, 2014
King is gone and forgotten
North Park's Burger King at 2829 El Cajon Boulevard closed down late last year. The building now has a new tenant: a Sonic Drive-in. San Diego County now has six Sonic locations: Camp Pendleton, Vista, …
July 23, 2014
Whew! Heritage Organisation says it’s okay
The former Kelly's Treasures antiques and collectibles store at 801 University Avenue in Hillcrest is closed, and a sign says it's under renovation by AK Pro Construction Co. of Torrance. It will become a Japanese …
July 4, 2014
Here comes the neighborhood
A residential loft project is planned for North Park, just east of Albertsons on University Avenue at Louisiana Street. The long-empty lot was originally listed last August at $895,000. Purchaser of the property was Morley, …
June 27, 2014
Shadow Mountain church sets up in Hillcrest
The evangelical Shadow Mountain Community Church of El Cajon now occupies the Grace Campus at 3844 Georgia Street in Hillcrest, the former site of Grace Baptist Church. Pastor David Jeremiah's views are similar to the …
June 9, 2014
Big donations help fund Mission Hills/Hillcrest library
The San Diego City Council on May 20 unanimously accepted $10 million from two donors ($5 million each) to complete funding for the long-overdue Mission Hills/Hillcrest Branch Library. The San Diego Public Library Foundation had …
May 22, 2014
Outta here: Homes become houses on wheels
The City of San Diego has removed two single-family homes from Academy of Our Lady of Peace–owned property, per a previous consent decree. The removal had been ordered to occur by May 1, 2014. The …
May 13, 2014
Where low-income LGBT seniors can live
When LGBT, low-income seniors in San Diego seek affordable apartments where they can live comfortably around their peers, they have this number of choices: zero. But that will change when the first affordable San Diego …
May 1, 2014
Three years until Hillcrest fire station is replaced
San Diego Fire Station 5 at University and Ninth avenues, is small, has asbestos, and is understaffed, but it still shoulders a full load. Placed into service in 1951, the Hillcrest station serves an area …
April 24, 2014
Major upgrade for Hillcrest crosswalk
A crosswalk in Hillcrest is getting upgraded after reports of serious accidents and complaints from residents. The crosswalk with no traffic light is at the southeast corner of Park Boulevard and Cypress Avenue, near the …
April 14, 2014
No pigeons, rats, broken windows
A longtime antique and collectibles store at 815 University Avenue in Hillcrest closed down sometime back. The code enforcement section of the City of San Diego posted a Notice of Abatement (Vacant and Unsecured Structure) …
April 1, 2014
University Heights school building followup
A recent Reader article dealt with a long-stalled-plan to renovate the historic Teachers Training Annex #1 at 4100 Normal Street, turning it into a public library. The empty and deteriorating building is owned by the …
March 14, 2014
Hotel downsizes for financial reasons
A developer has scaled down a hotel project at 401 W. Ash Street, previously approved last September by Civic San Diego. The reason for the downsizing was due to the developer's difficulty in obtaining financing …
March 4, 2014
Historic building to become University Heights library?
For several years, the University Heights Community Development Corporation has been pushing to acquire the old Teachers Training Annex 1, owned by the San Diego Unified School District. The development corporation’s plan would renovate the …
February 23, 2014
North Park’s Labor Ready office closes permanently
Labor Ready, the temp-job agency located at 2884 University Avenue in North Park, is closed for business. A sign on the door reads: “North Park office will be consolidating with the El Cajon and Downtown …
February 14, 2014
Downtown bathroom project plans approved
The San Diego City Council on February 4 unanimously approved plans and specifications for two downtown restrooms (Portland Loos) to be placed in the East Village. They will be installed at the northwest corner of …
February 7, 2014
Hillcrest’s Uptown shopping center due for “re-do”
The Uptown District Shopping Center at 1030 University Avenue in Hillcrest, built in the early ’90s, is a busy location. But vacancies have been popping up in the 148,638-square-foot urban center, anchored by Ralphs. The …
February 4, 2014
New life breathed into “Atmosphere” project
The dead-in-the-dirt “Atmosphere” downtown condo project, which crashed in 2004, is getting a new lease on life. Now it will definitely become a low-income apartment complex, through efforts by Centre City Development Corp. (now Civic …
January 23, 2014
Group fights for University Heights boundary rights
While it may not matter to those who don't live there, one group is fighting another over the boundaries of University Heights. The University Heights Community Development Corporation (UHCDC) is battling with the University Heights …
January 10, 2014
Burger King on El Cajon Boulevard exits North Park
You won't “have it your way” anymore from Burger King at 2829 El Cajon Boulevard. It's closed down. The building and parking lot are now surrounded by a chain-link fence. A request by the Reader …
December 12, 2013
Hillcrest car-repair shop closure signals gentrification
Town's Auto Repair at 3752 Park Boulevard in Hillcrest has repaired its last engine, carburetor, and transmission. The business was directly across from the DECA luxury condo development, on the northwest corner of Park Boulevard …
December 2, 2013
North Park's F Street adult store property up for grabs
The F Street Adult Video & Gifts property at 2004 University Avenue in North Park is up for sale. It's located just west of Pecs Bar, at 2046 University Avenue. The North Park property is …
November 8, 2013
Developer presents design concept for AT&T building
The long-empty ATT/PacBell structure at the northeast corner of Texas Street and Howard Avenue in North Park has been a magnet for homeless people and taggers ever since it became empty. The nonprofit Community HousingWorks …
November 5, 2013
Cops naysay downtown opening of Phantom Lounge
Phantom Lounge and Nightclub may open soon downtown at 1014 Fifth Avenue (just north of Broadway). This will be the third Phantom Lounge location in San Diego County. Unlike the two existing businesses, this one …
October 10, 2013
Blockbuster Video goes bust in North Park
North Park's Blockbuster Video, at 2011 El Cajon Boulevard, is closing down forever. Signs at the North Park store indicate the entire inventory is being liquidated. Parent company Blockbuster LLC was acquired by Dish Network …
September 20, 2013
Mitt Romney's La Jolla mansion not a done deal
An appeal before the California Coastal Commission meeting on September 11 in Eureka against the planned larger home by Mitt and Ann Romney has been postponed. Architect and longtime La Jolla resident Anthony A. Ciani …
September 9, 2013
El Cajon Boulevard Coco's to become a 7-Eleven
The former Coco's Bakery Restaurant location at 2644 El Cajon Boulevard will become a 7-Eleven store. According to Margaret Chabris, director of corporate communications with 7-Eleven, Inc., in Dallas, they will construct a new 3010-square-foot …
September 5, 2013