Projects:
Historic Streetcar
North Park Developments
Traffic & Parking

North Park Main Street is
partially funded by the City of
San Diego Redevelopment Agency and the City of San Diego Small Business Enhancement Program

North Park
Pilot Village

The North Park Pilot Village application process is being coordinated as a collaborative effort between North Park Main Street and the North Park Community Association, two non-profit organizations that are intimately involved and deeply invested in ensuring a high level of quality of life for residents through the successful revitalization of the North Park.

After submitting an initial application early this year, North Park was selected among a number of communities to be considered as a model to demonstrate the potential and opportunity of a new planning process being implemented citywide. That application was submitted at the end of October 2003. On February 10, 2004 the San Diego City Council selected North park to be one of the five pilot villages the the City of Villages program.

The City of Villages Concept

The City of San Diego has been in the process of updating its General Plan by adding a new comprehensive component to the Plan, the Strategic Framework Element. The comprehensive approach described in the Strategic Framework Element will help each community consciously determine where and how new growth should occur, while addressing the challenges associated with growth.

In order to demonstrate the potential for integrating Villages into communities, the City of San Diego has begun a Pilot Village Program. The City has asked communities to get involved in the planning efforts by making application to be one of up to three communities chosen to demonstrate what a "model village" looks like. The City is committed to partnering with residents, property owners, non-profits, developers, and other agencies to make these Pilot Villages real.

North Park Pilot Village

North Park is taking a customized approach to fulfilling the Pilot Village application requirements. Rather than concentrating its efforts on one project, the application encompasses a significant portion of the community's downtown area.

North Park is on the cusp of a renaissance. Investors, businesses, and developers alike - in recognizing the growing potential, opportunity, and value in North Park - are investing in our community. As a result, we want to ensure that the proposals meet the community's expectation while utilizing our valuable land resources to their highest and best use. We will utilize the City of Villages process to fulfill the community's vision for North Park as described in our Community Plan.

As is the case for any successful downtown, a lively and complementary mix of uses is desired. It is proposed that the North Park Pilot Village expand its traditional primary uses of commercial and civic, while working to achieve a balance of residential and other complementary uses to encourage an active downtown for the community.

Specific attention will be given to supporting the expansion of the community's art and cultural uses. Uses such as the North Park Theatre and the gallery scene on and around Ray Street will position North Park as a prime destination for arts patrons throughout the region. These uses should be complemented by new nighttime dining and entertainment experiences, including restaurants and live music venues.

In addition, it will be important to encourage a balance of retail amenities that fulfill the needs of the community. Many residents of North Park find themselves driving out of our community to fulfill daily needs. We will strive to fulfill most or all of the routine shopping and service needs of the community within downtown North Park.

Other goals of the North Park Pilot Village that have been expressed in our Community Plan include:

Revitalize the central business district at University Avenue and 30^th Street.
Improve the appearance of commercial development through establishment of overall design standards.
Enhance pedestrian activity by improving the pedestrian environment.
Encourage new development and redevelopment for purposes of increasing employment opportunities within the community.
Maintain historic architecture/design elements and require complementary designs.
Attract national anchors while encouraging the expansion and improvements of local community-based business.
Promote balanced access of all modes of transportation, including cars, transit, bikes, and pedestrians.

All densities will comply with the Greater North Park Community Plan.

Community input is imperative on this North Park Pilot Village project, which is intended to fulfill the visions of the Greater North Park Community Plan. Information about the project is available in the North Park Main Street office and on the North Park Community Association and North Park Main Street websites. The community will have a variety of opportunities for providing much needed input for the final application. A number of meetings to solicit input from the public were held. These meetings were widely publicized through local publications, community meetings and newsletters, and through e-mail and direct mailings.

Benefits to Being Selected as a Pilot Village

There are numerous benefits to our community for participating in the City of Villages application process. In May, the City's Land Use and Housing Committee recommended approval of a pilot village incentive package. The City Council will consider adoption of this incentive package in October. Some of those include:

Special attention and dedicated support from all City departments will be given to North Park if we are a Pilot Village. The focus would be on North Park.
Priority will be given to North Park in completing Capital Improvement Projects. Needed infrastructure improvements, which would not otherwise be completed for many years, will be given the highest priority by the City, and implemented much sooner. The City will start by revising the current schedules and completing sewer and water line replacement and upgrades to accommodate revitalization efforts.
Assistance will be given to the North Park community in seeking and obtaining private, state, and federal funding. Where and when appropriate, City staff in all departments will assist us in gaining funding for such things as sidewalk improvements, transportation improvements, undergrounding of utilities, affordable housing, and other appropriate resources.
There will be local, state, and national recognition of North Park as a well-planned community. North Park and its proposal to be a Pilot Village is already under consideration for inclusion in a book by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The pilot village would be a vehicle for implementing the Greater North Park Community Plan.
The pilot village designation will coordinate all of the ongoing projects and provide a vision based on the Community Plan. Being a Pilot Village will provide us with the ability to provide extensive community input on all of the projects.

North Park’s Catalyst Projects

North Park is experiencing a renaissance. After many years of disinvestment, North Park has become a premier location for homebuyers and businesses alike. This is due to a number of factors, including North Park’s central location and proximity to downtown coupled with numerous regional conditions such as worsening traffic, sprawl, and overall market conditions. As a result of these factors, North Park has recently experienced a significant influx of development interest, especially within its downtown area. The community has already approved a number of significant proposals that will transform the fabric of downtown North Park. Among those proposals are:

North Park Theatre
Located between 29th and 30th Streets on University Avenue, the historic North Park Theatre is realizing its former glory as a regional destination for live theater. The theatre is undergoing a complete rehabilitation that will ensure its viability for many years to come. It is planned as a multi-use redevelopment project and the City's first neighborhood performing arts center. The North Park Theatre is expected to open in October 2005.
North Park Theatre Parking Structure
Across the street from the North Park Theatre, a four deck parking and retail structure will be constructed. The facility is proposed to integrate a highly flexible arts feature that allows original art to be displayed on the façade. The creative design will complement the burgeoning arts and culture center in downtown North Park. It is anticipated the project will open in Fall 2005.
La Boheme (North Park) Condominiums
Located at 30th Street, Lincoln Avenue, & Ohio Street, the North Park Condominium project will be the largest development to be built in North Park in generations. Western Pacific Housing, a subsidiary of D.R. Horton, the nation’s largest homebuilder, has submitted plans for a mixed-use project that would include over 200 residential units and 15,000 square feet of retail space.
Walgreens and San Diego National Bank Building Parking Garage
At 32nd Street and University Avenue, the two projects are being built adjacent to one another. The complex will consist of a one-story Walgreens Drug Store with adjacent additional retail space, an adjacent parking lot to the east, and a two-deck parking structure behind the bank. Construction on the parking garage began in October 2004. The actual Walgreens building will break ground in early 2005. Completion is expected in fall 2005.
North Park Library
North Park has been approved for a 25,000-square-foot flagship library. The Library Task Force has recommended locating the library at the corner of 31st Street and University Avenue. This is the location of the former Drowsy Maggie's coffee house.

With so many exciting projects already moving forward, the community of North Park is highly aware that a renaissance is occurring within our neighborhood. We also realize that with development comes opportunity to receive improvements in public facilities and infrastructure. North Park Main Street and North Park Community Association have recently undertaken a process to ensure that these opportunities are not missed. The process is the City of San Diego City of Villages Pilot Program. Through the process, all of the projects described above would become part of the North Park Village. Being designated as a “Village” by the City of San Diego will bring many benefits to the community without any direct costs to the community’s residents or businesses. The North Park Village seeks to support these projects with new public facilities and amenities such as public open space widened sidewalks, and improved traffic circulation just to name a few of the benefits. Best of all, these public benefits will be provided concurrently with development. To learn more about the North Park Village and its benefits call us at (619) 294-2501 or e-mail us:
npbid@northparkmainstreet.com.

In addition the City of San Diego has more information about the City of Villages Program on their web site. Just visit: www.sandiego.gov/cityofvillages.