By SUSANA VILLEGAS
In his State of the City address, Mayor Ron Morrison was enthusiastic about progress in the City, and with good reason. He described a National City dotted with new buildings, new amenities, and new projects that are making the National City community even better. National City “embraces new ideas” and is “willing to do new things,” said the Mayor. The combination of the City’s inclusive culture of diversity and a vibrant spirit to create something new is fueling great progress in National City, and the signs of that progress are popping up in downtown National City and the Marina.
The Mayor immediately points out the potential to re-invent downtown National City. “We want a second downtown,” referring to National City’s regional importance as the closest downtown area to neighboring downtown San Diego. The City has plans for a complete remodeling of downtown, but beyond remodeling, the concept for National City’s downtown begins with people. “A downtown without people is not a downtown,” said the Mayor. “We want a good mixture of businesses, housing, families and single people, truly a downtown.” The Mayor points to the nearby Westside Infill Transit Oriented development, also known as the Paradise Creek Affordable Housing Project, just south of downtown. The 201-unit, 13-acre project sits between 19th and 22nd Street, and Hoover and Harding. The Mayor is particularly proud of how the community participated to shape this project. The project is a departure from concrete jungle development. It incorporates Paradise Creek into a great expected living experience for working families by expanding Paradise Creek Educational Park.
The Mayor is also well aware that a downtown with people also needs new parking places for those people. Reverse diagonal parking is an idea that the National City is implementing to create new parking. In practice, this type of parking requires drivers to park in diagonal parking spots in reverse. Once parked, it is easier and safer for passengers to exit their vehicle. When leaving a parking spot, the driver has much greater visibility and does not need to back out of that parking space, again improving safety. The Mayor recalls how on a trip to Washington, D.C., he was inspired to introduce diagonal parking to the City. “I talked to the business owners there. People got used to it. It brings more parking and reduces the chance of an accident. Bike lanes are great along with reverse diagonal parking.” The Mayor added that along with signs to help transition the public to reverse diagonal parking, the change was fiscally very responsible, in addition to improving traffic safety for the residents of the City and rendering more parking spaces from the same prior parking area. It’s innovation that works for National City.
Along the waterfront, National City is building on the example of the highly successful Best Western Marina. “In the San Diego region, sixty percent occupancy is considered success,” noted the Mayor. “It has ninety percent occupancy.” The Mayor is proud that the hotel offers three-star rooms at Best Western prices that many can afford. “We get tons of people, great deals, room service at the restaurant next door and very affordable…. the hotel market can do very well in National City.” The Mayor is expecting a new hotel and restaurant that will be coming soon to the Marina District. The City is also interested in negotiating more land with the Port of San Diego to build two new hotels. “It’s a win-win for both the Port and the City,” he said. He hopes to present proposals to the California Coastal Commission next year for approval.
Hotels are just one sign of progress at the Marina. The Mayor is particularly proud of the new Aquatic Center at Pepper Park. The Mayor expects the main part of construction to be done by the end of November and the opening of the Center in April. The link between the Aquatic Center to hotels and tourism in National City is important, but the Mayor is proud of the Aquatic Center for a different reason. The Aquatic Center opens the door to National City’s youth for environmental education, kayaking, small-scale boating, and other activities on the Bay, which brings us back to the Mayor’s optimism and faith in the people of National City.
The Mayor knows what is at the heart of National City’s progress. He knows National City’s secret sauce. It is National City’s diverse and inclusive people that inspire great new things. “We celebrate each other’s diversity. We find ways to get people together.” In National City, “It’s a different dynamic…. Everyone is welcomed, including grandmas and grandpas. It doesn’t matter who you are. Everybody is part of the community.” It’s that spirit of diversity and inclusion that is taking National City to new heights.