Park Station Promises Meetings

DOWNTOWN LA MESA -- The owners of a downtown La Mesa property that could become the site of a major redevelopment and high rise project are pledging to conduct a series of meetings with local residents and organizations interested in the proposal.

 

The proposed project -- called Park Station -- would be located between Baltimore Drive and Spring Street and could include a mix of residential, retail and commercial space in buildings that could reach 18-stories. The initial public meeting on the process for conducting an Environmental Impact Report on the project drew dozens of residents and a variety of questions about the scope of the project.

 

The statement from the owners, sent to LA MESA TODAY, appears in full here:

Park Station Team Invites Public Feedback

The City of La Mesa officially kicked-off the public involvement process for Park Station last week at a meeting at City Hall. The meeting was well attended by La Mesa residents, who posed several questions about the proposal for a smart-growth community in downtown La Mesa.

 

“We are pleased the public process has officially kicked-off, and we look forward to listening to and working with the community,” said Joseph Kitzman, property owner. “This initial meeting is the first step in a long process of establishing a two-way dialogue with the public.”

 

Park Station will be located between Baltimore Drive and Spring Street, less than a five-minute walk to the La Mesa Boulevard Trolley Station. Potential land uses include residential, hotel, and office space. The plan also calls for shops and restaurants, and a new, privately maintained, 50,000 square-foot community park.

 

The Park Station team acknowledges that the progressive nature of the proposal is likely to raise questions and concerns in community. As a result, the project team is planning to schedule a series of presentations to local community groups and organizations after the first of the year.

 

“We are eager to meet with local residents and business owners to learn more about their thoughts on Park Station,” said Kitzman. “We are happy to speak with anyone that is interested in learning more about our vision for revitalizing this site.”

 

With declining municipal revenues due to the national economy, Park Station could be a significant economic boost for the City of La Mesa. When built, the community would generate between $500,000 to $1,000,000 annually for essential City services such as police and fire.

 

To help facilitate communication, the project team has created a website, www.parkstationlamesa.com, which will serve as a resource for the community to easily access information about Park Station.

 

For more information, contact Chris Wahl at 858-541-7800.