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Stories by David Batterson

Construction Begins on Florida Street HousingWorks Apartments

For many years there were rotting bungalows along Florida Street, between University Avenue and Robinson Avenue. The San Diego Housing Authority gave a loan of $4,900,000 over two years ago to Florida Street Housing Associates, …

August 3, 2011
Lyric Opera Poised to Sell North Park Theatre

Lyric Opera, which owns Birch North Park Theatre, struggles to pay the mortgage and operating costs, which run more than $50,000 monthly. Now, the nonprofit organization is close to unloading the property. According to Lyric …

Woolworth Building Rehab Cost to Rise?

A 15,600-square-foot property at 3067 University Avenue was built in 1949 by F.W. Woolworth Company. Last year, the city purchased the long-empty building for $1,950,000 for redevelopment. North Park Gateway, LLC, was selected to work …

Transient Problem at North Park’s Albertsons

For many months, transients have hunkered down in front of the Albertsons supermarket at 2235 University Avenue in North Park. They panhandle for change and sometimes fall asleep on the sidewalk. After contacting the Albertsons …

City Slow to Remove Racial Slur on Sign in North Park

On June 2, when I saw a stop sign at Louisiana Street and Polk Avenue tagged with anti-semitic graffiti, I immediately emailed councilmember Todd Gloria's office. I also sent a photo showing the racial slur, …

North Park Main Street’s Plans for 2011

The North Park Main Street design committee met on January 4 to discuss revitalization plans for 2011. Amy Colony, assistant director of North Park Main Street, said, “Our main goal is to draw in businesses, …

January 4, 2011
Mama's Kitchen to Move

Mama's Kitchen, which has provided meals for people with AIDS and cancer for years, has lost its longtime lease at 1875 Second Avenue and the church property is up for sale. The nonprofit has a …

North Park Animal Hospital to Include Holistic Treatments

A building at 2200 University Avenue is undergoing a total renovation after its purchase by longtime North Park veterinarian Robert Nagell. Located across from Albertsons, the structure was originally a Jack LaLanne gym, “so was …

November 18, 2010
San Diego Housing Commission to Overhaul Hotel Sandford

The timeworn Hotel Sandford, a single-room occupancy facility for low-income seniors at 1301 Fifth Avenue, will soon receive long-overdue renovations. The San Diego Housing Commission purchased the building earlier this year for $6.8 million and …

San Diego City Council Passes Equal Benefits Ordinance

The San Diego City Council on October 18 unanimously approved an "equal benefits ordinance" proposed by openly gay District 3 councilmember Todd Gloria. The measure requires city contractors to provide domestic partners of employees the …

October 19, 2010
San Diego to House Homeless at World Trade Center

Conversion of the former World Trade Center at 1250 Sixth Avenue into a “one stop” homeless center moved closer to reality October 5: the San Diego City Council, convened as the San Diego Redevelopment Agency, …

CCDC Wants More Cortez Property

Just when we thought the Cortez “hole” project was set for future development, a new glitch of sorts has emerged. The Centre City Development Corporation would like to see the now-filled Cortez “hole” (abandoned Atmosphere …

September 26, 2010
Activists Demand Release of Army PFC Bradley Manning

More than 50 individuals from activist organizations and their supporters gathered at Horton Plaza on September 19 to demand the release of Army PFC Bradley Manning. The Army intelligence analyst was arrested and jailed for …

Martin Calderon, Scrap Metal Sculptor of Hillcrest

I was walking around Hillcrest recently and wondered what's with the lifelike metal animal sculptures in front of houses on the 3700 block of First Avenue. I found out through the Hillcrest Town Council that …

September 16, 2010
Affordable Housing on the Way

Recently at the Cortez “hole” site (midblock between Ash and Beech, flanked by Fourth and Fifth avenues), I met with Barry Getzel, senior project manager at Wakeland Housing & Development Corporation. The aborted construction site …

Nowhere Near Bankruptcy?

Twenty people attended District 3 city councilmember Todd Gloria's latest community coffee klatch on August 14 at Grant's Marketplace in South Park. (Contrary to what the photo suggests, alcoholic beverages were not served.) Gloria spent …

August 17, 2010
Talk, Act, Fight

A small crowd of MoveOn.org supporters gathered at noon on August 10 at the Community Concourse to "fight Washington corruption." Speakers included Anne Hoiberg, copresident of the League of Women Voters of San Diego, and …

Gays’ Day in Court

After Northern California’s chief district judge Vaughn Walker on August 4 ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional, I contacted Robert R. DeKoven, law professor at San Diego's California Western School of Law, since he writes …

Hole Lot of Dirt

After several years of contributing to downtown blight, the huge construction hole between Ash and Beech streets (bounded by Fourth and Fifth avenues) is finally being filled. The site of the planned Atmosphere condo development …

What’s Up with the Big Cortez Hole?

For the past six years, a huge construction hole in the lower Cortez neighborhood has remained a collection of rusty rebar, weeds and dirt, and wooden shoring. Located midblock between Ash and Beech, the L-shaped …

No Hush

Equality California and the Courage Campaign joined local LGBT individuals and Unite Here Local 30 union members on Saturday, January 9, in the latest demonstration against the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel. Participants yelling “boycott” marched …

For the Shills

Three masked members of Anonymous San Diego (xenu.net) demonstrated on December 5 outside the headquarters of the Scientology/Hubbard Dianetics Foundation on Fourth Avenue. The building is listed for sale. While it was a peaceful protest, …

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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