EMPOWER SAN DIEGO

Redevelopment: a solution that is meant to revitalize a certain area after it has experienced blight. Results of redevelopment usually consist of more jobs, safe neighborhoods and affordable housing.

For Downtown San Diego, the fulfillment of this process is assigned to the Centre City Development Corporation, or CCDC. According to their website, the CCDC acts “as the catalyst for public-private partnerships to facilitate redevelopment projects pursuant to redevelopment law”.

.To further analyze the state of Downtown San Diego, the CCDC hired Keyser Marston Associates. Over $100,000 and a cancellation of the study due to state legislation later, it was confirmed that downtown is, still in fact, facing blight.

It is easy to assume that since the CCDC spent a great sum of money to review downtown's current status, they would be able to provide a well detailed report of the territory. However, seven weeks had to pass buy in order for that information to be available, which negates the state law requiring agencies to publicly release such documents within 10 days, and thus, also negates their own mission statement.

This negligence has lead many people to question the validity of all redevelopment agencies, including Governor Brown. In fact, he even plans to “phase out” these agencies, and instead focus on recovering the state's schools and public safety with the property taxes that agencies, like the CCDC, collect. Councilwoman Lightner stated that redevelopment needs to be cut, otherwise education and safety budgets would suffer. The governor claims that planned projects, like a new football stadium, derive from a strong educated workforce. In other words, he believes stronger educational foundation will inevitably lead to more positive results than redevelopment agencies would.

California's state controller, John Chiang, has began auditing 18 out of the state's 400+ redevelopment agencies, Coronado being the closest one to San Diego, in order to assess their solidarity and help the governor further analyze his consideration.

It appears that this plan has already elicited public support. A survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute shows that 66% of Californians favor Governor Brown's proposal.

The irony in this proposal that the governor states on his website that “ [he has] learned first- hand how stupid state regulations can stop jobs and development in cities like Oakland; and how ridiculous jurisdictional squabbles and endless rules delay the construction of new transmission lines to bring solar energy to our cities”. Opponents of the abolition of redevelopment agencies claim that the “stupid state regulations” Brown mentions are exactly what the governor is enforcing on Californians if his proposal passes.

Although it seems that some redevelopment agencies have lost their way, the City Heights Community Development Corporation exemplifies the other agencies that have done legitimate work in

order to achieve ideal redevelopment goals, such as sanitary and affordable homes and a lower crime rate. It's agencies like this that have the governor hesitant to confirm his decision.

San Diego's leaders, such as Mayor Sanders and Councilman Faulconer, are determined to contest against Brown. “It's not San Diego's job to bail out the state, which should tackle its own spending and runaway pension costs” says Faulconer. They claim redevelopment agencies are crucial towards reviving Downtown San Diego, the city's biggest tourist spot. Without it, the plans for Convention Center expansions and a new football stadium will be thrown out.

San Diego is not alone in this redevelopment battle. In an effort to reach a consensus, a meeting was held in Sacramento on January 26th between the governor and several Californian mayors. Mayor Sanders suggested “changing tax law to bring in more revenue from businesses that lease publicly owned land”. This, in turn, is projected to bring $2 to $3 billion to help the state's budget deficit. No redevelopment agreements have been made, but the mayors have agreed to continue negotiations.

Regardless of any possible legislation, Councilman Faulconer has encouraged redevelopment officials to quickly continue on with projects in downtown. Many other state cities are a part of this “redevelopment Mardi Gras” in order to legitimize their spending before the state passes legislation that will no longer allow them to do so.