La Mesa Centennial

Location, Finalists Chosen For Legacy Project

LA MESA -- It is not yet clear which artist will have the honor of creating La Mesa's Centennial Legacy project, but it is becoming clearer where that installation will be located.

The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve erecting the Legacy Project on the triangle of land formed by the intersection of Allison Avenue, La Mesa Boulevard and Cypress Street.

The city staff has recommended that site (shown above)  as the only suitable location available in the city's commercial core. The Train Depot at Nebo Drive was judged to have too little public land available and the Civic Center, the only other site contsidered, was judged to be too unpredictable a location because other development is likely to occur there in coming years as the city mulls the need for a new City Hall and library improvements.

In the meantime, the committee looking for the artists who will partner with the Centennial Committee in creating the monument has narrowed the field being considered.

According to city documents, 18 groups submitted proposals to be considered for the Legacy Project Subcommittee; of those, 11 met all requirements. The committee then reviewed the applicants and have decided on three finalists:

-- Jennifer Bonner and Christian Strayner of Los Angeles.

-- Jesus and Mary Lynn Dominguez of La Mesa.

-- Paul Hobson of San Diego.

The three finalists group will receive $1,500 each to submit concepts by May 24th. A winner will be picked in July and fabrication of the final concept will be done by December, 2013.

While most plans to mark the Centennial are transient events that will live on only in photographs, this project will create a landmark with a time capsule that could last until the bicentennial.