Councilmember David Alvarez—who sits on the MTS board—vented frustration in dealing with MTS. “What I see around trolley stations is not homes, not development that’s transit oriented,” he said, instead “a lot of industrial” or “nothing.”
A new plan could help solve San Diego’s housing shortage and reduce a rash of vacant storefronts in buildings that were intended to have ground-floor commercial tenants operating below multiple stories of housing. “While the development overall is great, the opportunity lost in terms of space because the commercial uses aren’t being maximized has been a concern of mine for some time,” Alvarez said. “It’s sometimes a blight in a community when there are vacant spaces.”
Read MoreWhen it comes to whom we're endorsing, there ain't much suspense. We endorsed Alvarez in the primary, and he's still in the race, so he's still our guy. Alvarez would lead from the bottom up. He'd make decisions based on what's best for the middle class and those who are struggling to join it. As he's shown in Barrio Logan, he'd have the backs of neighborhood residents when they need equal access to services or are up against powerful interests.
Read MoreNow Alvarez is running to become San Diego’s first Latino mayor and its youngest mayor in more than a century. Backed by the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, he is the surprise contender in Feb. 11’s special election, facing off against Republican and fellow Councilman Kevin Faulconer.
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