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San Diego’s Fire Station 4 Story
This is such a cool building and I'm glad it didn't get torn down or repurposed. In 2008 or 2009 a developer wanted to buy it from the City and turn it into a restaurant. By 2010, the developer declared bankruptcy. There were some other really interesting old buildings next to it, where the parking lots are now, but the artists living there were evicted when a developer, the Simplon corporation, bought the block and tore them down. The Simplon Corporation was going to build 35-story Cosmopolitan Square, a mixed-use 290-condominium project, with 12,500 sq ft of retail space plus 17,100 sq ft of office space on the entire block (J Street, and 7th, 8th and Island avenues). Simplon was going to keep but expand Fire Station 4. The construction was supposed to start in spring 2007 and be finished by fall 2009. By September of 2007, Simplon was foreclosed, with a $16 mill default on the $25.5 mill purchase; filed for bankruptcy March 2008. Here's the CCDC page, showing what the project would have been: http://www.ccdc.com/projects/major-downtown-proje… Here is a link to a photo of the door of what once was an old-time auto-repair garage, two connected-wall buildings down from the fire station, at 428 8th Ave. http://www.flickr.com/photos/slipetz/35624398/in/…— March 11, 2011 2:10 p.m.
New Border Pedestrian Bridge to Open Soon
What were the construction costs and how long has it taken to build? How does it compare to the CCDC's $28 million Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge (which still isn't open, as far as I know)?— March 2, 2011 7:20 a.m.
Imperial Beach’s Miracle Shopping Center to be Demolished, Rebuilt
This is an important story. It is about the Imperial Beach Redevelopment Agency and eminent domain. If you simply Google "miracle shopping" "imperial beach" you will see. Start with the pdf detailing the Epic Land Solution Inc.(a business registered in Torrance, Ca, to Holly Rockwell) agreement to displace all of the shopping center tenants by eminent domain. On the cover page to Epic's plan, they footnote the word "Epic" so as to define it: "EPIC: adj.Surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size; 2.Heroic and impressive in quality" Wow. Heroic. Heroes? Or villains?— March 1, 2011 6:48 p.m.
Union Members Picket Fresh & Easy Stores
I prefer to shop at independent, locally owned grocers when I can; their fresh fruits and vegetables are far less costly, compared to the hip outlets or the big-chain grocers. I do buy certain bulk items at corporate chains if I believe they have histories of fairness with employees (Costco, Target). That said, F&E, like Trader Joe's, is not a place that interests me because of its focus on packaged ready-to-eat or -to-cook items. Cooking interesting, healthy, low-cost foods means getting the ingredients and putting them together. Yourself. Silly people with more money to throw away than I can afford like F&E because its packaging (items and the store) appears cool or hip or arty or whatever. Expensive and pretentious.— February 27, 2011 9:49 a.m.
CCDC Cancels Propaganda Tour
Another interesting SacBee report on the abolishment of redevelopment agencies: http://tiny.cc/z3oqb— February 25, 2011 5:42 p.m.
San Diego Fire Department Alarms
Story in today's SacBee: In Sacto, thanks to Federal grant money obtained due to efforts by Rep. Matsui (D-Sacramento), Sacto fire can rehire 27 firefighters and put two browned-out units back to work. Maybe San Diego's representatives in Sacto can step up to the plate for SD?— February 24, 2011 11:54 a.m.
Are Naming Rights to San Diego's Parks, Libraries, Fire Stations on the Auction Block?
Great report, Matt. Wow, when I start getting junk mail and calls from advertisers, I'll know that my Business Tax info was sold. I think the City should pay ME for the right to sell my info. Bugger this town. It IS dang hard to find anything positive that the local pols do. Oh wait. Carl created a pothole app. That's as good as it'll get.— February 23, 2011 2:29 p.m.
CCDC Cancels Propaganda Tour
SacBee says today that Dems working on Brown's budget proposals are holding off on deciding the Redevelopment issue...legislation soon to be written, and Dems think Redevelopment Agencies will come up with a compromise deal. There is a SacBee report on a series of RA interviews: "PRNewswire/ -- California Governor Jerry Brown has called for abolishing the cash-rich Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA's) so their funds can pay off the State's massive debt. The Full Disclosure Network is releasing an exclusive two-part television interview with long-time veteran newsman Ron Kaye, Editor of the L. A. Daily News (1984-2008) who describes waste and fraud in CRA redevelopment projects. The series is to be featured on community and public cable television channels throughout out California..." Here is the link to six interview segments: http://www.fulldisclosure.net/Programs/589.php I don't know anything about Ron Kaye, or if Full Disclosure is solid and trustworthy, but the first segment is interesting.— February 18, 2011 1:46 p.m.
Duncan Hunter Knows Pizza
The previous post has Hunter as a D. Ooops. He's an R, for sure. That sentence came from a SD Gay & Lesbian News story published on Feb 1 2011, by Morgan M Hurley, "SDGLN Copy Editor." That'll teach me to lift a sentence w/o giving credit. And someone needs to go back to copyeditor school. Pretty cool, though that copyeditors get to write articles. Either SDGLN can't believe that a Republican would be anti-DADT, or someone slipped it in on purpose!— February 17, 2011 2:52 p.m.
Duncan Hunter Knows Pizza
On the subject of Duncan the Junior: what has he done for you lately? Try this: Duncan Hunter, Jr.(R-Ca) has a bill US HR 374, to extend the 14th Amendment to Unborn Humans. Duncan Hunter Jr., D-Calif., has introduced legislation to "put the brakes" on the DADT repeal. Spend more time in bars and fundraising, Dunc, and stay out of the business of the people.— February 16, 2011 7:42 p.m.