San Diego’s City Council has made a decisive move to rejuvenate the dormant Mira Mesa recreational facility, the Epicentre. According to an announcement on the City of San Diego's official website, officials sanctioned a unanimous deal yesterday for a 45-year lease allowing the County to take over and revitalize the space.
The facility, situated on Mira Mesa Boulevard and neighbored by Mira Mesa High School and the Mira Mesa Community Park, has long stood empty, silently waiting for a breath of life. With a nod to practicality and foresight, the lease will cost the County a mere $1 per year. As part of the bargain, the County has committed over $10.25 million to refurbish and reequip the premises, rendering it up to par with current regulations. City Councilmember Kent Lee echoed to the local community the prospects of a flourishing civic nexus that had long been a dream, now on the verge of realization.
Underscoring the scope of services, the future facility will include various cultural and educational activities, ranging from performing arts to after-school support. Collaborations with adjacent educational institutions like Mira Mesa High School are also in the talks. “I’ve heard from so many residents asking when this property will be brought back to life, and this lease agreement is one of the final steps needed to reactivate this building for the benefit of the community”, Kent Lee told InsideSD.
The vision for this project is more than leisure; it's a stride towards equity and inclusion. Housed in a structure built in 1975 and previous home to the Mira Mesa Library, the building later served as a teen center until 2016. Since its vacancy, efforts to lease the property sputtered until the County, motivated by a mission of broad access and community engagement, stepped in. Emphasizing the collective effort behind the project, Christina Bibler, Director of the City’s Economic Development Department, shared with the community via InsideSD, “This is a great example of City and County governments working together to create a regional asset we can all be proud of”. The remark sheds light on the extensive public consultation from more than 1,000 survey responses and advocacy from local groups that crystallized into unanimous support from the Mira Mesa Community Planning Group on May 20.
The formalities are now largely settled after the Council's nod, and the project awaits the County Board of Supervisors' approval of its expected endorsement by July 17. Once the permits are in order, the overhaul slated to commence this autumn, with doors set to open to the public in late 2025 or early 2026, promises a new chapter for community and culture in Mira Mesa.
