Call it one step closer for a much-anticipated sign in La Mesa.

The Downtown District Sign will be located in the heart of the village at La Mesa Boulevard and Palm Avenue.

On Wednesday, April 19, there was a tile painting event to mark the beginning of this project at CeramiCafe, which is located at Grossmont Center in La Mesa.

Two columns adorned with brass plaques and about 1,500 hand-painted 4”x4” tiles consisted on both sides of the sign. Also, the District Sign will be lit up to shine at night. This is a community-funded project led by the La Mesa Village Association (LMVA) in partnership with the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation (LMPRF, Fiscal Sponsor).

Cerami Cafe has helped this project by storing and labeling all the tiles and managing the painting process.

“By partnering with CeramiCafe, we have one centralized location where individuals can go at their convenience to paint their tiles,” said Misty Thompson, LMPRF executive director. “CeramiCafe has helped us streamline this process by storing and labeling all the tiles and managing the painting process of those who have purchased tiles. We are extremely grateful to have them as a community partner for this important project.”

In order to paint a tile for the District Sign, individuals must have already purchased a tile. Wes Troy, vice president of the LMVA, delivered a short speech thanking those who contributed to the project.

The conception of this project was begun by Tony Gaipa, the Chair of the La Mesa Downtown District Sign Committee. As a community member of La Mesa, he desired construction to represent the area. This District Sign will have the effect of beautifying the neighborhood and unique.

During COVID, LMVA was able to proceed with the necessary processes before the construction. LMVA raised money by selling tiles to the public to paint and be displayed on the two columns supporting the District Sign. People can walk in or make a reservation online at CeramiCafe.com to paint their tiles during regular business hours, but won’t be able to purchase tiles at the CeramiCafe as they have all been sold.

A solid date for the District Sign construction has not been determined yet. However, all the tiles will be prepared by June 30 and the LMVA will hopefully begin to break the ground this fall. More details will be announced after the current engineering phase is complete.

If you want more information or to become a member of LMVA, visit: lamesavillageassociation.org.

For a previous story on the Downtown District Sign, see: sdnews.com/la-mesa-village-downtown-district-sign-currently-83-funded/.

(Photos by Juri Kim)

1. Steve Clay, La Mesa Village Association, BOD Member