Retail, Residential Project to Break Ground Next Year
A neglected street corner in downtown El Cajon will soon be the site of new houses and retail space, a San Diego-based developer said. The two-acre parcel at the southwest corner of Main Street and Magnolia Avenue will hear the din of hammers and electric saws as a mixed-use retail and residential project breaks ground early next year, said Perry Dealy, president of Dealy Development Inc. of San Diego. He’s one of three principals in The Corners at Main Street I & II; LLC, which will own the project. Dealy is joined by Daryl Priest of Priest Development of El Cajon and Allan Royster of San Diego-based Royster Development Inc. Dealy’s company is providing design-build services for the San Diego Convention Center expansion. He’s also the owner-developer of Rancho Bernardo Corporate Center at 17055-85 Camino San Bernardo, an 80,000-square-foot research and office development. Priest, a home builder, said his recent projects include Granite Hills Glen, a 100-house planned unit development on Granite Hills Drive; Friendly Terrace, a 65-home development on East Main Street; and Linnway Estates, a 19-house project on Lincoln Avenue. All of those developments are in El Cajon. Royster is also an owner-developer of the Rancho Bernardo Corporate Center, Dealy said.
Developers, City Agree To Proceed
The trio signed a memo of understanding with the city that allows negotiations for a development agreement to proceed. No sale price has yet been determined for the city block, but it will be set by an independent appraisal, Dealy said. The city has just started construction on Main Street in front of the proposed development to change the street to two lanes with diagonal parking, he said.
Dealy said the construction plans drawn by the San Diego architectural firm of Fehlman LaBarre call for 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space on Main Street with 5,000 square feet of residential rental lofts above and 28 townhouses facing W. Douglas Avenue to the south. He anticipated construction starting some time in early January after the City Council approves the final development agreement. Dealy estimated it would be completed some time in first quarter of 2002. Michael Stonehouse, project architect with Fehlman LaBarre, said he borrowed from the architectural style of the early 20th century Craftsman movement for the retail buildings. That will help the project blend in with other commercial buildings on Main Street, he said. Fehlman LaBarre designed Fenton Marketplace, a retail center currently under construction along Friars Road in Mission Valley.
Townhouses To Have Contemporary Design
The townhouses to the south of Main Street, which will be on their own lots, have been designed in a contemporary California style, he said. He said demolition of several existing vacant commercial buildings would be started within a couple of months. The general contractor for the project has not been selected yet, he added. David Cooksey, redevelopment manager for the city of El Cajon, said the project is part of an ongoing redevelopment in downtown El Cajon. The strip shopping center across the street was a result of the city’s redevelopment effort a few years ago, he said. The city is also making grants available for building owners on Main Street northeast of the project so they can improve the appearance of their building facades, he said.
