County Breaks Ground on El Cajon Center

EL CAJON - County officials and community members are expected to gather this morning, Oct. 31, to break ground on Gillespie Field Airport’s new Cajon Air Center. Today's event kicks off the first phase of a multi-phase redevelopment project to redevelop 70 acres in unincorporated El Cajon into an aviation industry hub.

The groundbreaking is scheduled for 10:30 am at Gillespie Field Airport, at the intersection of Joe Crosson Drive and Airport Drive.

The Cajon Air Center is a planned multi-phased development that includes construction of an underground detention basin; drainage improvements; utility relocation; roadway improvements; new apron area and taxiways; and grading of buildable aviation-use lots. The first phase of the project consists of grading and installing an underground detention basin.

Total project cost for this phase is estimated at $6.5 million. The Federal Aviation Administration has offered a 90 percent match for the total project cost for Phase I, with the remaining funding coming from the County’s Airport Enterprise Fund. Phasing and timing of the remaining phases will depend on the FAA’s funding priorities.

Following completion of the infrastructure, up to 55 acres is expected to be available to be leased for private development of aviation facilities.

A 16-page synopsis of the project is available online at http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/...

Image courtesy County of San Diego.