First and foremost, I’m thrilled that San Diego’s beloved giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, have made their public debut at the San Diego Zoo’s renovated Panda Ridge habitat. Securing their return was a significant achievement for the City, and I’m proud of the role my administration played in making it happen.
I’m also proud to share that we’re moving forward with updating the decades-old Balboa Park Master Plan. This effort is crucial to preserving and enhancing the park’s beauty and functionality for generations to come.
We’re also working to breathe new life into long-neglected venues. The Starlight Bowl and the Village Grill restaurant kiosk will soon see renewed activity, with plans to bring in new operators to revitalize these cherished spaces. And from the nearly completed $28 million restoration of the Botanical Building to the new 25-year lease with the WorldBeat Center, we’re completing vital projects that will ensure that Balboa Park remains a vibrant, inclusive space for all for generations to come.
In addition to these projects, we’ve established a new fund to ensure that revenue generated from park operations stays in the park. This will help address the critical maintenance and improvement needs that have been deferred for too long.
Balboa Park is more than just a park; it’s a cultural and historical landmark that reflects the very soul of San Diego. I’m committed to securing the resources needed to maintain and enhance this treasure, and I’m confident that with San Diegans’ support, we can achieve Balboa Park’s full potential.
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your Mayor.
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July Housing Highlights: Progress Across San Diego
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July was a momentous month for housing initiatives in San Diego!
The City Council approved my Blueprint SD initiative and landmark updates to University Community Plan and the Hillcrest Focused Plan. These plans set a comprehensive framework for creating more jobs and housing, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, and enhancing equity in our neighborhoods.
Blueprint SD, a refresh of the City’s General Plan, helps guide where we can locate more new homes and jobs near transit, parks, and services to help meet the City’s equity, climate, and housing goals. Blueprint SD updates the existing framework and creates new policies in the General Plan, which serves as the City’s guide for community plan updates and the long-term future growth and development of the City.
The University Community Plan Update and the Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment both focus on providing opportunities for a variety of new homes for people of all incomes over the next 30 years and beyond within areas of the city that have a higher level of resources and access to high-paying jobs and transit.
These updates are crucial steps forward in creating jobs, addressing our housing crisis, and celebrating the unique identities of these neighborhoods. The Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment honors the neighborhood’s LGBTQ+ history by creating an LGBTQ+ cultural district, in addition to a new entertainment district, while the University Community Plan Update enhances the area as a major business hub and capitalizes on the Blue Line Trolley Extension. Both plans aim to create vibrant, sustainable communities for all.
In addition to these critical plan updates, two of the City's "Bridge to Home" projects are making strides. We signed a $6.2 million loan agreement for the Palm City Transit Village project, which will bring 79 new affordable homes to Otay Mesa. Similarly, the Hillcrest Hall project, backed by a $3.2 million loan, will add 98 affordable units in Uptown. My Bridge to Home Program is a vital part of my overall efforts to help produce more affordable homes for all San Diegans. The program provides gap financing to qualified developers to make deed-restricted affordable housing projects a reality. So far, the program has resulted in over $66 million of funding awards to provide 1,384 new affordable rental apartment homes for San Diegans across the city. On top of that, we’ve made new funding available for an estimated 400 additional new affordable homes.
In other affordable-housing news: We’ve achieved a milestone for the City’s very successful Affordable Housing Permit Now program. Since the permitting program was created after I issued an executive order in 2023, more than 25 projects totaling 3,064 homes have been expedited, significantly impacting the housing market and helping to bring rental costs down. You can track the progress of this program via this new website.
Our Development Services Department (DSD) has been instrumental in this program’s success, processing 42% of income-restricted homes in an average of just seven days. This fast-tracking ensures that we meet the urgent housing needs of our residents. In 2023 alone, 9,700 new homes were permitted, an 82% increase over the previous year.
All of these significant achievements represent just some of the work we’re doing at the City to address our housing crisis. This work is also helping to prevent homelessness by making sure people have access to the homes they need before they end up on the streets.
Together, these efforts represent a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness and ensuring all San Diegans have access to safe, affordable housing.
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San Diego Expands Gun Violence Restraining Order Program
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San Diego continues to lead the fight against gun violence. I joined City Attorney Mara W. Elliott, U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta last week to announce an expansion of our Gun Violence Restraining Order (GVRO) program.
With $4.2 million in new state funding, we’re enhancing our ability to keep firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals. San Diego has already removed more than 3,700 dangerous weapons from our streets, and this expansion of the successful program ensures we can do even more to protect our community.
The new Firearms Relinquishment Task Force, funded by the California Judicial Council, will enforce court orders, ensuring compliance and enhancing public safety.
Thanks to City Attorney Elliott and her team for taking the lead on this initiative, which is serving as a model not only statewide but also nationwide. It underscores our collaborative commitment to reducing gun violence and ensuring that San Diego remains one of the safest big cities in the country.
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Addressing Odor Issues at the Border Wastewater Station
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I am acutely aware of the persistent foul odors affecting residents near the Tijuana River Valley.
This issue, caused in part, by the improper maintenance of the Hollister Wastewater Pump Station, is unacceptable. The San Diego County Air Pollution Control District (SDAPCD) has issued a notice of violation to the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and its contractor for failing to properly maintain the pump station.
The pump station, which is responsible for directing untreated transboundary flows to the IBWC wastewater treatment plant, ceased operations on June 16, resulting in the discharge of 302,000 gallons of untreated wastewater containing sewage. Following this event, there was a continued failure to properly contain the untreated wastewater, leading to additional releases into the Tijuana River Valley, causing persistent nuisance odors.
I want every resident whose quality of life has been impacted by this to know that I have been advocating tirelessly with our congressional delegation for the federal government to provide more resources to address this ongoing issue.
Serving on the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District board, I have also been collaborating with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre to secure additional support for resolving this matter.
It is simply unacceptable that residents have had to deal with this odor and closed beaches for so long, and I feel for everyone having to deal with this every single day.
We will continue to push for a long-term solution to ensure our residents can enjoy clean air without enduring these odors. Your well-being is my priority, and I will not rest until this issue is resolved.
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GETTING IT DONE - FIXING OUR STREETS
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Smoothing Streets in Clairemont
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The Clairemont neighborhood is seeing smoother commutes thanks to recent slurry seal treatments on several streets, including Mt. Gaywas Drive, Mt. Herbert Avenue, Mt. Foraker Avenue, and Mt. Abernathy Avenue. These improvements are part of our ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance the quality of our city’s roads, ensuring safer and more pleasant driving experiences for residents.
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La Maestra Community Health Center Expansion in City Heights
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La Maestra Community Health Center celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in City Heights. This newly renovated building will significantly expand clinic space and healthcare services, allowing La Maestra to continue providing compassionate care to our community. Congratulations to La Maestra for their unwavering dedication to the health and well-being of City Heights residents.
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Supporting Homeless Veterans at Stand Down Event
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The annual Stand Down event hosted by Veterans Village of San Diego (VVSD) provides essential services like food, clothing, and housing support to veterans in need. Ending homelessness requires collaboration, and together, the City and our nonprofit partners are getting people off the street and connected to the care they deserve. Our efforts are ongoing, and events like Stand Down are crucial in making a difference in the lives of our veterans.
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LaborPalooza: Celebrating Workers in San Diego
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The San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council hosted its annual dinner at Waterfront Park, bringing together 600 public- and private-sector union leaders and supporters. The event highlighted the significant role unions play in advancing a pro-working family agenda in our region. I recognized the vital contributions of unions in ensuring good-paying jobs, protecting workers' rights, and fostering a strong workforce. The evening underscored San Diego's commitment to being a pro-union, pro-worker city.
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San Ysidro Health Celebrates 55 Years of Service
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San Ysidro Health marked its 55th anniversary with the Emerald Ball at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. The event celebrated more than five decades of dedicated healthcare service to underserved communities in San Diego. Donors, community partners, and elected officials gathered to honor the organization's incredible growth over the last five decades from a small clinic founded by seven mothers into a network of more than 50 health centers. The evening highlighted the organization’s ongoing commitment to providing quality healthcare and investing in a brighter, healthier future for all.
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City Seeks Community Input on Trash and Recycling Services
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San Diego residents receiving trash and recycling services from the Environmental Services Department (ESD) are invited to share their input through public meetings, questionnaires, and focus groups starting in early August. This initiative aims to evaluate and improve services while developing a cost-recovery fee structure. The first in-person meeting will be held on Aug. 5 at Logan Heights Library, with additional meetings scheduled across various Council Districts. A virtual meeting will be held on Aug. 24 from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
In-person Community Meetings by Council District (CD); 5:30 to 7 p.m.
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CD8: Monday, Aug. 5, Logan Heights Library, 567 S. 28th St., 92113
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CD4: Tuesday, Aug. 6, Valencia Park/Malcolm X Library, 5148 Market St., 92114
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CD6: Monday, Aug. 12, Mira Mesa Library, 8405 New Salem St., 92126
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CD9: Tuesday, Aug. 13, Mission Valley Library, 2123 Fenton Parkway, 92108
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CD3: Monday, Aug. 19, Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Library, 215 W. Washington St., 92103
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CD2: Monday, Aug. 26, Point Loma/Hervey Library, 3701 Voltaire St., 92107
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CD7: Tuesday, Aug. 27, Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library, 9005 Aero Drive, 92123
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CD5: Tuesday, Sept. 3, Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, 10301 Scripps Lake Drive, 92131
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CD1: Monday, Sept. 9, La Jolla/Riford Library, 7555 Draper Ave., 92037
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World Design Capital 2024 Pavilion Open House Celebration
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Join the City on Saturday, August 17, 2024, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Plaza de Panamá in Balboa Park for the opening of the World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 “Exchange” Pavilion.
This community-focused event celebrates creativity, collaboration, and cultural exchange under the theme “Powered by Community, Connected by Design.” Highlights include exhibitions, panels, a surprise guest speaker on the importance of community and design, and live music by Jehlad Akin.
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Midway Rising Informational Workshop
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Join the Midway development team on Aug. 7, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. at The Heights Golf Club, 16066 Bernardo Heights Pkwy., for an informational workshop about the Midway Rising project.
This event will provide updates on the transformation of the San Diego Sports Arena and the development of 2,000 affordable homes, a 16,000-seat entertainment center, and a mixed-use entertainment district in the Midway neighborhood. Complimentary parking is available.
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Learn More about Serving Your City
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San Diegans, here's your chance to make a difference in our community!
The City has 49 Boards and Commissions that advise my administration and the City Council on a wide range of important issues. We are looking for dedicated individuals to join these groups and help shape the future of our city. If you're passionate about contributing to San Diego's progress, apply now! Simply fill out the application form, and we’ll get in touch with you soon.
Learn more about our boards and commissions here. Let’s work together to make San Diego better for everyone!
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