Imperial Beach may finally be gaining momentum on the decades-long vision to redevelop the 13th Street corridor, a 1.3-mile stretch connecting the Naval Outlying Field in the south to Bikeway Village and the bay in the north. The City Council on Wednesday received a presentation on the 13th Street C orridor Improvement Plan, a grant-funded study outlining a long-range vision for the city’s eastern commercial corridor. The plan, developed over 14 months with funding from a SANDAG Housing Acceleration Planning Grant, was presented by consultant Diego Velasco. No council action was required. Velasco said the corridor, which he noted is often overshadowed by Imperial Beach’s Seacoast Drive commercial district, presents a significant opportunity for revitalization. The plan is organized around three segments — a south corridor near the naval base, a neighborhood core in the middle, and a bayside area near Bikeway Village — each with tailored streetscape and development concepts. Among the most prominent findings from community outreach, which included surveys, walkabouts, pop-up events and a builder’s breakfast, were concerns about traffic speeding, inadequate lighting, lack of street trees and the absence of a cohesive identity for the corridor. A central focus of the plan is the forthcoming closure of Central Elementary School, whose large property fronts 13th Street. The plan proposes that redevelopment of the site could include workforce housing for the school district, a one-acre public park and an event-capable street along Ebony Avenue. “We realized this was a huge opportunity working on this plan to take a leadership position and demonstrate some ideas for what the school district might want to consider, and what you might want to get back as a city, in terms of public benefits and benefits to 13th Street,” Velasco said. Mayor Pro Tem Jack Fisher echoed Velasco’s comments and called the Central Elementary rendering the presentation’s most striking element. “I have a lot of concern on what that property could be turned into,” he said. “To have an opportunity to change the community and still provide the housing that they’re looking for — I won’t say they don’t have any excuse, but I think they have less excuses not to build something absolutely amazing on that property going forward.” Councilmember Carol Seaberry proposed renaming the street Navy Boulevard to honor the base’s historical ties to the community. Councilmember Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez, meanwhile, pushed back on survey results that ranked street trees above lighting. “When the neighborhood is well lit, you feel safer,” Leyba-Gonzalez said. “And that’s everyone’s responsibility on here — ensuring that all of our residents feel safe.” Councilmember Mariko Nakawatase praised the outreach effort and flagged the importance of selecting tree species that would not damage existing sewer infrastructure. The plan also introduces a branding concept — “From the Base to the Bay” — that could be incorporated into signage, pavement markers, lighting fixtures and bus stops throughout the corridor. Implementation of the plan is expected to be incremental, with financing tools including SANDAG Smart Growth Incentive Grants identified as potential funding mechanisms. Mayor Mitch McKay acknowledged that Wednesday’s presentation represented a significant improvement over an earlier version the council had reviewed. “I think you’ve really taken that and infused imagination into this plan that we didn’t see last time,” the mayor said, addressing Velasco directly. ...read more read less