By Ashley Mackin | SDUN Editor
The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) building in Hillcrest, located at 3960 Normal Street, will be torn down and replaced with two new buildings: a larger facility for use by the DMV as well as a mixed-use facility next door. The Uptown Planners Meeting on Sept. 6 at the Joyce Beers Center provided general information about the proposed project.
A second meeting to answer community questions and collect feedback is scheduled for Nov.1 at the Joyce Beers Center at 1230 Cleveland Ave., at 6:00 p.m.
“These meetings will give residents an opportunity to know more about this new facility that will improve their DMV customer experience and be an asset to the neighborhood,” said San Diego Senator Christine Kehoe in a press release. “We want to be responsive to community needs and concerns.”
The proposed second facility, which will feature housing and retail space, follows legislation Kehoe sponsored in 2008 to create a partnership between the State of California and a private developer at no cost to the state. The developer, Lankford & Associates, would hold a 65-year ground lease on the new Normal Street property, with an option for three 10-year extensions. In return, Lankford & Associates would demolish the existing DMV structure and build a larger facility with underground parking, rental housing, and retail commercial space.
During the demolition and construction period, DMV customers will be directed to other field offices in the region. Employees from the Hillcrest branch will be reassigned to those offices, allowing more service windows to be open. The nearest location to the Normal Heights office is San Diego Clairemont, at 4375 Derrick Drive, approximately seven miles form the Hillcrest location. Other offices are located in Chula Vista, El Cajon and San Ysidro.
Construction will start after the environmental review and entitlement are completed, with the DMV facility construction lasting 14 months and the residential and commercial component taking an additional four months.
A demolition date has not been set.
“I am delighted that work is moving forward on this public [and] private project that will transform an area in need of renovation, and bring a modern, full service Department of Motor Vehicles office to serve the public at no cost to the state,” Kehoe said.
At the Sept. 6 meeting, community and board members’ early questions included issues surrounding
the sustainability of the project, parking availability and the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, which currently occurs each Sunday on Normal St. adjacent to the proposed construction.
Though the process is in its earliest stages, Eric Smith of Lankford & Associates was able to answer most of the questions posed, both in the meeting and in a separate interview.
Regarding sustainability, Smith said, “The DMV building will be designed to achieve certification by the US Green Building Council as LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Silver, an internationally recognized sustainable building certification system.” The LEED system identifies ways to make new and existing structures more sustainable, measuring areas such as water efficiency, innovation in design, and energy use.
Regarding the parking situation, Smith explained that the new DMV facility is required to have 170 parking
spaces. “We anticipate most of these spaces will be located in an underground parking structure.” The second mixed-use building will most likely include underground parking as well, Smith said, “the exact
size of which will be determined as we begin designing the mixed-use project.”
As far as the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market is concerned, Smith said, “We have had preliminary meetings
with the Hillcrest Business Association Board as well [as] with David Larson, the Hillcrest Farmer’s
Market Coordinator. It is our intention to collaborate with them and establish a strategy that works for everyone.”
Hillcrest Business Association Executive Director Benjamin Nicholls said he sees the new development
as a good thing, with two main benefits. “There will be new parking for the Farmer’s Market on Sundays when the DMV is closed and the Farmer’s Market will be an asset to the residential component,” he said.
He added, “As far as the big picture goes, I see a good outcome for the Farmer’s Market.”
Kehoe said, “The proposed new housing and commercial facilities will offer housing options in the neighborhood. I have been assured that the public will have every opportunity to provide input to the project as it moves through the city process.”
