December 10, 1999
By Sandy Burgin
Southeastern San Diego has been
billed by some as the "Diamond" district. And that area
was certainly shinning bright last week when the Jacobs Family
Foundation and Center for Nonprofit Innovations held a celebration
in recognition of its 1999 Grantees and Partners.
The gala took place inside a magnificent tent along Chollas Creek near the corner of Market Street and Euclid Avenue. That is the area where the $54 million construction of Market Creek Plaza and $4.2 million rebuilding of the inner-city's landmark Elementary Institute of Science will take place.
In the past three decades Joe Jacobs and the Family Foundation have contributed $13 million in cash and technical assistance throughout San Diego County. Much of that total has been concentrated in the Southeastern San Diego, where the foundation is headquartered.
One of the highlights of the celebration was the annoucement that Market Creek Plaza would be opened by next Labor Day. The 18 acre site will include a supermarket - Food 4 Less - at least three office buildings, retail shops, a restaurant, and educational and recreational facilities.
The project is also expected to create as many as 1,000 new jobs in the area. The foundation, which will underwrite constrction costs with a loan through a bank consortium, headed by San Diego National Bank, will allow the community to buy shares in the finished project.
The foundation will also direct Market Creek's projected $1 million annual net revenue into community programs and activities.
Pedro Eleuterio, a maintenance worker at the Jacobs Foundation, has been impressed with how involved the community has been in plans for the Market Creek project. "The foundation is not only is trying to help Latinos and Black families, but at the same time it wants to have them involved in the planning,'' said Eleuterio. "Latinos and Blacks are two races that people put aside. I don't know if it's for racial reasons or some background. But what they're trying to do is have the Market Creek Plaza involve the community in meetings, which they've had for about a year. They've asked kids what do they want in the Plaza."
"We have Plaza Bonita and Horton Plaza. But Market Creek is for the people of this neighborhood,'' added Eleuterio. "That's not to say that they don't want Chinese people or Asian people or white people, but they want something for the Latinos and Blacks in the Plaza that speaks to their likes and benefits. It's nice to have a say in what kind of stores and facilities are going to be here."
Eleuterio also feels that functions like Thursday night's event held in the Diamond district do a lot to dispell stereotying. "We have a reputation that we're living in a ghetto and that's not true,'' said Eleuterio. "Many people in San Diego County think - even though they won't admit it publicly _ they feel that if they come here their car is going to be stolen or stuff like that. You hear that a lot on the news. I'm not saying things like that don't happen here, but people shouldn't be afraid. And certainly Market Ceek Plaza will open up the community even more."
Felipe Garcia, 18, of Sweetwater
High in National City, who was a raffle winner, is also pleased
with the work of the Jacobs Foundation. "It nice to know
that there are organizations out there like the Jacobs Foundation
helping the community bridge the gap between normal folks and
the business and corporate world,'' said Garcia. Garcia is a member
of the National City Youth Organization. His family, the owners
of Garcia Construction, was one of the honorees at last week's
event.
Some of the other San Diego-based organizations who were honored as Grantees and Learning Partners were Bayview Baptist Church, Black Contractors Association, Latino Builders, Homey's Youth Foundation, Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and San Diego Youth and Adult Coalition.
Return
to Frontpage