American Legion to Be Demolished Soon to Make Way for New Housing

Demolition of portions of the American Legion Hall is expected to begin "any day now," said Hitzke Development Corporation Project Manager Mike Van Buskirk Monday.

The project will be completed in two phases: first demolishing portions of the old building, then building a new four-story, 30-unit building with the legion hall on the ground floor.

Funding for the project will come from primarily from the Imperial Beach Housing Authority.

According to a letter sent to the city in February by Hitzke Development Corporation, in order to close escrow the developer asked the city to:

- purchase a parcel of land for $346,500

- increase the Housing Authority's contribution $251,000 from $3.85 million to $4.1 million

In total, new money requested and approved at a March City Council meeting raised the price of the project from $7.8 million to $8.5 million.

The American Legion Hall will remain open until a second phase of construction begins in January 2013. It is a two-phased process with an estimated completion date of March 2013, Van Buskirk said.

Seniors and veterans will be given priority.

The six residents who lived in apartments on the side of the American Legion have been relocated, but will be invited back when the new hall is expected to open next spring.

There are no expected traffic closures or delays expected during construction, Van Buskirk said.

The legion project is one of multiple developments planned for the city's norteast corner.

• A new car wash on the other side of 13th Street is expected to open this month.
• If approved, the Bikeway Village may contain multiple shops and a hostel. City Council approved design plans and other aspects of the project at their May 2 meeting.
• If approved by port commissioners, the 95-acre plot on Palm Avenue known as Pond 20 and owned by the Unified Port of San Diego may receive requests for project proposals as early as the fall.