The Village at Market Creek in San Diego has been selected as a “Gold”-designated California Catalyst Community, through a new program created by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Funded by Proposition 1C, the program incentivizes innovative land use planning and green building strategies and awards $1.35 million to the City of San Diego to advance the work in The Village. The Village was selected with twelve other projects throughout the state.
“This project is a perfect example of using thoughtful planning to create places where people can live and thrive in a way that also protects the environment,” said San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.
Under the HCD’s Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program, the “Catalyst Project” designation encourages sustainable communities and tests innovative strategies to increase affordable housing supply, employment opportunities and transportation choices that reflect community values, preserve and expand open space and parkland, conserve water and habitat, and achieve targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Catalyst Projects also display commitment to federal planning priorities of the Department of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
One of the country’s most innovative neighborhood revitalization projects, The Village at Market Creek is the resident-led, driven, and owned development project in the Diamond Neighborhoods of southeastern San Diego. When complete, The Village will transform approximately 60 acres of blighted, under-utilized properties into a vibrant, livable community that is projected to create more than 1,000 jobs, 1,000 quality affordable housing units, 645,000 sq. ft. of new commercial space, and at least 400,000 sq. ft. of green open space and parks. The Village, which is being designed to meet the highest standards for energy efficiency, will include enhanced pedestrian trails along restored segments of Chollas Creek and enhanced walkability throughout the neighborhood. This integrated network of residential, commercial and cultural projects is being built on the unified, multicultural strength of the surrounding neighborhoods towards the creation of a true cultural village.
Plans for The Village were developed through a partnership between community residents, local and national funding partners, and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, a non-profit neighborhood strengthening organization which is committed to resident ownership of the planning, process, and assets of community change. To date, this partnership has produced a vibrant retail and cultural hub, called Market Creek Plaza, and the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, a community gathering place; expanded the Elementary Institute of Science, an educational resource for local youth; renovated the BRYCO Business Park; and restored 3,000 linear feet of Chollas Creek wetlands.
“Receiving the prestigious Catalyst Project designation provides a huge boost in our work to bring quality, affordable homes into The Village to meet the needs of this community,” said Jennifer Vanica, President & CEO of the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation. “What makes our project different—and truly sustainable—is that the work is being planned, implemented and owned by residents who are revitalizing their neighborhood. We are thrilled that the State has recognized the incredible work residents have undertaken and are supporting their vision for this community.”
The Catalyst Projects for California Sustainable Strategies Pilot Program is a partnership between HCD, Caltrans, the California Department of Conservation, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, the California Air Resources Board, the California Housing Finance Agency, the California Infrastructure Bank, the California Energy Commission, the California Department of Public Health, the California Environmental Protection Agency, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Projection, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
“When State departments work together, California is a leader in sustainability strategies,” said HCD Director Lynn Jacobs.
To learn more about The Village at Market Creek, visit www.thevillageatmarketcreek.com.
###
The Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation is a non-profit foundation that operates on the premise that residents must own and drive the change that takes place in their community for it to be meaningful and long-lasting. JCNI explores new pathways to change through entrepreneurial relationships, hands-on training, and the creative investment of resources.