\u201cOur community is living shorter lifespans than other folks in the county,\u201d said Janice Reynoso, the founder and president of Mundo Gardens. \u201cWe\u2019re surrounded by freeways. There\u2019s a lot of things that we didn\u2019t have a say in that we didn\u2019t deserve.\u201d <\/p>\n
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A map showing approximately where the Reconnecting Southeast San Diego and National City Green Corridor initiative is envisioning changes in Southcrest. Lauren J. Mapp\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n
Reynoso said the project offers an opportunity to reclaim health and wellness that the community deserves.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re building on the legacy of the Black Federation when they stopped the freeway from ripping through exactly where we\u2019re standing now,\u201d Reynoso said. \u201cAnd we are working with agencies, most importantly with the community, with artists and with native elders to get the feedback.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n Mundo Gardens received $2 million in grant funding in 2023 to move forward with planning the project through community feedback.<\/p>\n During Saturday’s event, Mundo Gardens, with the help of local urban design firm Citythinkers presented three proposals on how to use the triangular area of land under the 43rd Street entrance and exit ramps.<\/p>\n Three poster boards show different land-use proposals, each with their own key features and combination of housing, shops, parks and mixed-use spaces. Rami Alarian\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n The first proposal, titled \u201cMixed-Use Street Focus,\u201d removes the entrance and exit ramp bridges to the I-805, leaving the most room for housing out of the three concepts and significant room for park space. Citythinkers predicted this proposal would cost the most, with a $770 million price tag due to the removal of the highway bridges. But the plan also offers the highest anticipated economic output, according to Citythinkers, at over $1.2 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n The second proposal, named \u201cBridge Preservation,\u201d repurposes the highway bridges for pedestrians, transit and bicycles, leaving the least room for commercial and housing space but offering over 16 acres of park and open space, the most of any proposal. This proposal would cost the least due to minimal removal of existing infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n The final proposal, the \u201cCommercial Focus\u201d concept, prioritizes mixed-use and commercial infrastructure with a fairly even mix of housing, mixed-use and shop space. This proposal keeps two lower highway bridges and repurposes them for pedestrian, bicyclist and public transit usage\u00a0 as well as parks. The construction would cost roughly $685 million while offering an estimated 7,289 jobs, the most out of the three proposals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Each proposal took ideas from community feedback gathered during previous workshops.<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity feedback is central to any good planning process,\u201d said Diego Velasco, the founder of Citythinkers. \u201cI think that if you don\u2019t work with a community, then you risk repeating the same mistakes of bringing in different projects into an area that might actually do more harm than good.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Diego led attendees of the most recent workshop through writing what they liked and didn\u2019t like about each proposal on sticky notes and reading them aloud. Then he had attendees choose their preferences between low, medium and high density housing and discuss the pros and cons of each.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Zenia Torres, who attended the previous visioning workshops by Mundo Gardens, said she felt grateful for the chance to learn from new perspectives during feedback exercises at each workshop she\u2019s attended.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teresa Valenzuela, a community member who attended the event, said the proposals should add electric wheelchair charging stations and more accessible infrastructure.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI know what it feels like to be stranded on the road,\u201d Valenzuela said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Torres said that planning infrastructure like this shouldn\u2019t feel complicated and that communities should think more inclusively.\u00a0 She said suggestions like Valenzuela\u2019s should not shock the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think the beauty of having events like this allows us to broaden our perspective, but also our empathy for others,\u201d Torres said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kasimu Harley, a Black Federation member who protested State Route 252 in the \u201870s, invited to speak during the event, said organizers protested further construction of the highway because of the displacement it caused. Harley, a student at the time for the protests, said he acted as a mouthpiece for the cause.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you think back in the day, it was just a great collaboration between Brown and Black communities,\u201d Harley said.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-Membership-Campaign-Goal-Tracker-3.png\"){kind=tracking}
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A community member gives feedback on a land-use proposal at Southcrest Park in Southeast San Diego on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026. Rami Alarian\/Daylight San Diego<\/p>\n
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