With a stroke of his pen, San Diego mayor secures almost $300 million for new projects, upgrades
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Mayor Todd Gloria signed two laws Thursday that will allocate nearly $ 300 million to new infrastructure projects and pave the way for a variety of repairs and upgrades across San Diego.
The spending plan includes funding for parks, libraries, roads, transportation, rain drains and public safety, said the mayor at Mesa Verde Park.
The signing ceremony took place on Gold Coast Drive in Mira Mesa, where local residents have been complaining about the crumbling, cracked streets for years.
“The Gold Coast Drive is a symbol of our city’s long history of neglecting our infrastructure needs,” said Gloria.
Plans call for spending about $ 11 million on about 2.5 linear miles of road on Gold Coast Drive and nearby Parkdale Avenue, the mayor said.
More money is earmarked for other projects, including $ 98 million for public safety; $ 59 million for mobility and transportation; and $ 50 million each for environmental services and stormwater runoff.
The infrastructure plan also provides for $ 21 million for parks; $ 15 million for city facilities; and $ 550,000 for information technology upgrades, Gloria said.
Councilor Chris Cate said residents of Mira Mesa have called, emailed, and met with him to ask him to fix the streets since he took office in 2014.
“Lately we’ve gotten a little closer to getting the job done by allocating funding for planning and design,” said Cate. “We’re celebrating a giant leap forward to give these residents what they’ve been asking for for so long.”
City Council President Jennifer Campbell said the $ 293 million investment is a holistic approach to making a tangible impact on the lives of thousands of San Diegan people.
Investing in infrastructure benefits the entire community, she said.
“I’m grateful to Councilor Cate … and grateful to our Mayor for uniting our city so we can address these long-ignored needs,” said Campbell.
The funds for public safety are divided among several departments.
Just over $ 56 million will be used to replace police and fire service radios, and $ 41 million will be used to replace 34 fire trucks. The city will introduce a new waste and recycling collection system to meet government requirements for recycling organic waste.
The plan is directing $ 28 million to Gloria’s “Sexy Streets” initiative to prioritize road repairs in historically underserved communities. This money complements the roughly 10 million US dollars for road repairs that are already included in the city budget.
A longtime resident of Gold Coast Drive, Salvador Almoite is delighted to hear that the city is finally investing in streets and parks. But he wants the city to set up a toilet in Mesa Verde Park.
The mayor promised to work towards this goal.
“We did not get into this situation overnight and we will not leave it again overnight,” said Gloria. “But you have my iron commitment … that there are fewer Gold Coasts in our city and many more sexy streets in our city.”
The signing on Thursday will kickstart funding for the projects, city officials said. Construction along Gold Coast Drive is scheduled to begin next spring and be completed in 2023.
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