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U.S.-Mexico Bridge Proposal Draws Mixed Reviews

U.S.-Mexico Bridge Proposal Draws Mixed Reviews

Development: Builder Says Project Would Revitalize Both Sides of the Border

BY MANDY JACKSON

Staff Writer

SAN YSIDRO , A pedestrian bridge crossing the U.S./Mexico border at San Ysidro will provide an opportunity for revitalization on both sides of the border, says the developer.

Yet some residents of San Diego and Tijuana are not convinced. They say the proposed bridge would link San Ysidro with a crime-ridden area of Tijuana.

The bridge, which is a key element of the $260 million Las Americas project in San Ysidro, would link Louisiana Avenue with the north end of Avenida Revolucion, an area known in Tijuana as Zona Norte.

San Diego-based LandGrant Development is building the 1.4 million-square-foot project encompassing retail and other development on 66 acres in San Ysidro, just west of Interstate 5 off Camino de la Plaza.

LandGrant is developing Las Americas with joint venture partner JER Partners of McLean, Va., which is providing additional capital to finance and operate the project.

The first phase, which opened in November, has 370,000 square feet of shops and restaurants with tenants such as The Gap, Liz Claiborne and Old Navy.

LandGrant President Samuel Marasco acknowledged crime is a problem in Zona Norte. However, he sees the bridge as a catalyst for redevelopment, similar to Horton Plaza in Downtown San Diego, which he had a hand in developing.

“We think the area of Tijuana , Zona Norte , would also realize economic improvement,” Marasco said.

Zona Norte is no worse than LandGrant’s property in San Ysidro before Las Americas construction began, he added.

“It’s fundamentally a good thing to spend time and money where you can accomplish two things at one time , provide benefits to society and make a living too,” he said.

Image Problem

Nora Ibarra, a resident of Tijuana, said Zona Norte is “not really safe,” because it is notorious for drugs and prostitution.

Ibarra said if a bridge is built bringing people directly into that area, they will have a worse image of Tijuana. Because of the nightclubs there, people in the United States already call Tijuana dirty, she said.

Ibarra contends the pedestrian bridge won’t prompt revitalization of Zona Norte.

“Look at where the existing bridge is , nothing has changed. They moved the poor people out of there, but one block away, it’s the same,” she said.

But Marasco claimed the pedestrian bridge is necessary because both pedestrian and vehicle transportation systems across the border are inadequate. The lack of border crossings hurts both San Diego’s and Tijuana’s economies.

“The ultimate benefit would be a sociological benefit,” Marasco said.

The pedestrian bridge would be a landmark, similar to the Statue of Liberty, and serve as a symbol of respect and dignity , the first bi-national icon, he said.

In order to build the bridge, LandGrant must obtain a presidential permit approved by various government agencies in the United States and Mexico through the International Bridges and Borders Commission, overseen in the United States by the Department of State.

LandGrant has filed a formal application in the United States and Mexico. In 2001, LandGrant filed an amended and restated application, addressing concerns from agencies in both countries.

There are four standards the bridge must meet in order to be built, according to Marasco:

– There is no previous legal ruling against such a project.

– It is not in conflict with a public project.

– It is consistent with other public projects in the immediate area.

– It is complementary to existing public projects.

So far, LandGrant’s proposal has been found by the international commission to meet the standards. The proposal is down to the test of economic viability and the schedule for development.

“We’re putting together a viable plan. We won’t do it if we can’t put it together,” Marasco said.

The city of San Diego, through its Redevelopment Agency, has a contract with LandGrant stating that over a 30-year period, the agency will reimburse the developer for $20 million worth of public improvements, said Pat Hightman, the agency’s deputy executive director. The money will come from property taxes and sales taxes generated by Las Americas.

“The pedestrian bridge is going to be funded entirely by the developer,” Hightman said.

LandGrant projects $200 million in annual retail sales will result in $33.7 million in sales tax revenue, $14.8 million in property taxes, and $39.7 million in transient occupancy, or hotel, taxes, over a 25- to 30-year period.

Taking A Toll

In many ways, Hightman said the exciting part of Las Americas is the image-changing potential the bridge has for the area.

“I’m for a pedestrian bridge as long as it’s free,” said San Diego City Councilman Ralph Inzunza, whose district includes San Ysidro.

Inzunza has crossed the border all his life to visit family and friends in Mexico, and he said there should not be any deterrents to crossing the border.

The 50-cent toll LandGrant has proposed would pay off debt service and operation costs associated with the pedestrian bridge, Hightman said. Any money left beyond those expenses would be split two-thirds to Tijuana and one-third to San Diego, which would use the money only for public improvements in and around the area.

There would always be a free border crossing, but it will not be a direct path, according to Hightman. The bridge’s toll would be geared toward tourists, she said.

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-Chula Vista, represents the San Diego County district that includes San Ysidro. He said he is not clear about LandGrant’s plans but opposes a private toll bridge.

“I’m opposed to deciding where a bridge goes to help one business,” Filner said. “I think it’s feasible, I just don’t think it’s appropriate. You’re taking a public right of way and making it private.”

San Ysidro Business Association President Carlos Vasquez said the bridge is supported by the community as long as it doesn’t affect businesses at San Ysidro’s other crossing.

Business owners and managers in San Ysidro also are concerned about the toll.

“Many people cross daily. Even though (the toll) is small, it adds up. It may curtail the number of times people come across,” he said.

Although the first phase opened after Sept. 11, which affected consumer confidence, many of the stores at Las Americas have reported their San Ysidro locations to be the best-performing ones in San Diego County, Marasco said.

Marasco expects the next phase to break ground this summer. It will feature 270,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. A 25,000-square-foot library and cultural center also is being considered.

The bridge would be the third phase of construction. When those plans are certain, the fourth phase, which may include a hotel and conference center and more retail and office space, would also be built. Marasco said some mid-rise residential buildings might be included.

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