Euclid Tower

The Euclid Tower is one of the most visible structures within the community of City Heights. The ornamental Tower stands 80 feet tall and sits atop a two-story commercial structure that was originally built in 1932 as a drive-in soda fountain. In 1999, the Tower section began leaning dangerously and was taken down for safety reasons. Restoration of the Tower was of particular importance to the community, which believed it would positively affect the neighborhood character. Community members recommended restoring the Tower with the colorful public art façade to represent the culturally rich and diverse community of City Heights. Stanford Sign & Awning completed the Tower restoration in March 2009 based on the design by Richard Bundy of ARCHITECTS Richard Bundy & David Thompson.

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Talmadge Senior Village

Talmadge Senior Village, an attractive three-story mixed-use facility, opened in October 2006. Located in the City Heights Redevelopment Project Area, the $18.6 million Talmadge Senior Village project provides critically needed affordable housing opportunities to San Diego's senior citizens as well as commercial and community recreation uses. Talmadge Senior Village replaces an older motel at 5252 El Cajon Boulevard and offers housing at rents affordable to very low income senior citizens. The development is in close proximity to vital senior services, such as public transportation, grocery markets, park, medical centers, and pharmacies.

Auburn Park Apartments

Auburn Park Family Apartments, a $22.4 million redevelopment project, creates additional affordable housing for San Diegans and enhances the continued revitalization of City Heights. Located on the southwest corner of University Avenue and 52nd Street, the 69-unit housing development is designed for very low- and low-income families earning from 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The development offers 6 studios, 27 one-bedroom, 14 two-bedroom, and 22 three-bedroom units for individuals and families that fall within the income guidelines. Two units serve as onsite management and maintenance staff units. The project also providse a public park and enhanced open space area in the immediately adjacent Auburn Creek. Construction was completed in late 2007.

City Heights Square Project

The City Heights Square master-planned redevelopment project is a collaboration between the City of San Diego Redevelopment Agency, San Diego Revitalization Corporation, Chelsea Investment Corporation, Senior Community Centers of San Diego, and La Maestra Family Clinics. Upon full completion, the project will provide a variety of community servicing amenities, including office and retail space, critically needed affordable housing for seniors, a medical clinic, and a 5,348-square-foot pocket park. Combined, the developments represent an investment of more than $76 million in the City Heights community.

State Route 15 Improvements

Until 1998, State Route 15 terminated in City Heights, dumping heavy traffic onto the local streets of the community. To address this issue, the State of California worked extensively with the City of San Diego, local schools, Metropolitan Transit Service, and local community organizations to design and install a depressed freeway through the Mid-City neighborhoods. This $150 million project included the construction of a 2.2-mile freeway extension between Interstate 805 and Adams Avenue, three new public parks, including the four-acre Teralta Park, which sits on a lid over the submerged freeway, as well as extensive architectural enhancements and community amenities. Four enhanced bridge decks were completed. The new enhancements included retail and restroom buildings, decorative bus shelters, trellises, landscaping, sound attenuation walls, and public art.

Metro Center and Metro Villas

The City Heights Metro Center Project transformed a once blighted property into a dynamic, mixed-use development that provides multiple benefits for the surrounding neighborhood and the entire San Diego region. The $47 million project is located at the northwest corner of University Avenue and State Route 15. The project includes both office and housing components, the Metro Career Center and Metro Villas, respectively. The attractive four-story office building and 120 new affordable family housing units feature ample structured parking and landscaped open space areas. The primary tenant in the office building is Workforce Partnership, which provides comprehensive job training and placement services for San Diego County.

Regional Transportation Center

The Regional Transportation Center (RTC) is an innovative mixed-use project designed to introduce San Diego residents to the benefits of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The RTC signature architectural design transformed a formally blighted commercial corner of the City Heights community into an impressive commercial and public service development. This $12.5 million facility includes an education center, conventional and alternative fuel vehicle display, repair center, and fueling station—combining non-profit educational and for-profit commercial components. The project also houses several other commercial and office uses in its upstairs leased space. RTC is one of the most comprehensive alternative fuel vehicle centers in California.

City Heights Urban Village

The eight-block City Heights Urban Village is an award-winning master-planned redevelopment project in which multiple public and private uses coexist in a communal village setting. Through the restoration of the City Heights commercial core and the establishment of this pedestrian-friendly town square, the multi-phased Urban Village is fundamentally changing the social and physical environment of this diverse community. Individual components within the Urban Village include: Mid-City Police Substation, Mid-City Community Gymnasium, Rosa Parks Elementary School, Weingart City Heights Library, City Heights Recreation Center, Mid-City Continuing Education Center, City Heights Retail Center, Village Townhomes and Office Center, Performing Arts Center, Head Start Center, and a community swimming pool.