The San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of just over 4 acres of vacant land near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and Market Street for the future construction of the Southeastern San Diego Live Well Center on Tuesday.
The board authorized the purchase from the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and began the process for the designing and building of the center. The new center will serve as a single stop for health and social services, including a Family Resource Center, Public Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, Family Strengthening Services, Probation and Restorative Justice Services and Employment Services. It is expected to open in 2021.
Approximately 80,000 residents use the County services that will be available in this new location. Currently, they have to travel to several different offices, sometimes miles apart. Most of those residents will live within two miles of the new Live Well Center.
The County is committed to adding value to the community through this project by respecting its history and diversity, and creating opportunities for all residents to live well. This includes a 4,000 square foot conference center for meetings and events available to the community at no or low cost. The center will also provide educational opportunities and workforce trainings. Free parking in a garage and surface lot will be available. Additional features will be landscaping, traffic improvements, trail enhancements along Chollas Creek and public art. In particular, the mural on the wall of the Tubman Chavez Community Center will be reproduced in the new facility, and the County has reached out to the original artist.
Public input is also a key part of the project. More than two dozen people attended today’s meeting to provide their feedback about the center. The Board of Supervisors commended speakers for taking the time to share their views and reaffirmed the County’s vision to invest in Southeastern San Diego and its residents. The County will continue to involve residents in the process through outreach meetings and opportunities to collaborate on guidance for the design. The community will also play an important role in developing public art at the new facility by helping to create the vision, interacting with potential artists, and attending sessions to discuss the projects.
The County currently has Live Well Centers in Escondido, National City and Chula Vista.
Learn more about the Southeastern Live Well Center online, including opportunities to provide feedback and schedule a tour of a Live Well Center.
