This proposal describes the land available for development of a landmark mixed use residential building containing a public library as well as space for parking and other amenities that will satisfy the needs of the community and city while generating profits for investors.
Community Description
Normal Heights and Kensigton are suburban neighborhoods composed mainly of Spanish Revival and California Bungalows built in the 1930s. Areas to the south of Adams Ave have many 2 story apartment buildings dating from the 60s and 70s. Additionally, a significant number of single family homes have infill units dating from all eras making the most of the area moderately dense.
Normal Heights is divided from Kensington by the I-15 freeway which maintains differences between the two communities, Kensington being a target destination for upscale homeowners, while Normal Heights providing a more bohemian experience with establishments centered on local brewing and music.
The population of the two community planning areas served by the Kensington-Normal Heights Library is estimated to be 27,483.
Current Library State
The Kensington-Normal Heights Library is located at the center of a small park in Kensington and was upgraded to the current square footage of 2,300 square feet in 1962. San Diego’s Library Master Plan recommends that branch libraries provide between 0.3 and 0.6 square feet of space per resident in their service area. Using this metric, the library has been surviving on 14% of needed capacity for decades.
This space is severely inadequate for even minimal service delivery. Since opening in 1962, the library has added numerous modern services including Internet access, adult literacy, computer literacy and programming, career counseling, college prep courses, and of course, children’s story time.
The San Diego Library Master Plan recognizes this shortfall and recommends “a new facility of at least 25,000 square feet”.
“The Kensington-Normal Heights Library should be Replaced with a new facility of at least 25,000 square feet. Kensington Park is a valued green space in the neighborhood. Further study and community outreach is needed to determine whether the park could (or should) accommodate a larger library building. If not, the library should relocate to an alternate site that could be part of a mixed use development with housing or other uses. If an alternate location happens, the existing facility is an opportunity for future community uses.”
– San Diego Public Library Master Plan 2023 – p. 138
After 64 years of service since the 1962 expansion, the current building has been extended far beyond the amount of space required to accommodate the additional services and programs of a modern library. The librarians have applied heroic efforts to accommodate book stacks, meeting space, computer terminals, copying services, adult education, arts and crafts programs, a seed library, video programs, games, puzzles, and a Friends of Library bookstore all within 2300 square feet!
A Shortfall Six Decades in the Making
Applying the Master Plan’s 0.35–0.45 square foot per resident standard across the decades since the remodel shows an ever widening shortfall.
| Year | Est. Population | Existing Sq Ft | Standard Range (Sq Ft) | Gap (Sq Ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 23,815 | 2,300 | 8,335 – 10,717 | 6,035 – 8,417 |
| 1970 | 24,304 | 2,300 | 8,506 – 10,937 | 6,206 – 8,637 |
| 1980 | 24,915 | 2,300 | 8,720 – 11,212 | 6,420 – 8,912 |
| 1990 | 25,527 | 2,300 | 8,934 – 11,487 | 6,634 – 9,187 |
| 2000 | 26,138 | 2,300 | 9,148 – 11,762 | 6,848 – 9,462 |
| 2010 | 26,750 | 2,300 | 9,363 – 12,038 | 7,063 – 9,738 |
| 2020 | 27,361 | 2,300 | 9,576 – 12,312 | 7,276 – 10,012 |
| 2022 | 27,483 | 2,300 | 9,619 – 12,367 | 7,319 – 10,067 |
Population estimates based on a 16% increase in the combined Kensington-Talmadge and Normal Heights population between 1960 and 2022 (SANDAG 2022 Population and Housing Estimates).
The design of the original building is unique and should be retained for future use as a children’s center. However, repurposing will require modernization including lighting, plumbing, and structural retrofits.
Library Vision
The Library Master Plan states the city is focused on building mixed-use facilities for all future branch library builds. Additionally, the Kensington/Normal Heights Library is identified for replacement with 25,000 square feet of space.
“In addition to the Central Library, at least 0.35 to 0.45 square feet of branch library space per San Diego city resident should be provided per the Master Plan Framework.”
– San Diego Public Library Master Plan 2023 – p. 14
The current site is deed restricted as a park and a building envelope of the recommended size would not fit on the current footprint. It is therefore proposed to build a mixed-use facility with below grade parking, at grade retail spaces, a second-floor library with an open space plaza, and five stories of mixed unit housing on a site within the Kensington-Normal Heights service area.
Potential Sites
The ideal library configuration is a single floor to provide the most efficient operation for librarians, security, and the public. The limits potential build sites to six locations listed here in no particular order.
- 35th and Adams Ave (vacant properties)
- 3612 Adams Ave (Vons parking lot)
- 3650 Adams Ave (Former Rite Aid building and parking lot)
- North Ward Canyon Park + 39th Street
Each of these locations have specific advantages and disadvantages follow the links for more.
Project Costs
Through a public/private partnership the following elements will need to be funded.
- Land may be purchased by the City with a ground lease to the developer
- Architecture, planning, and engineering
- Ancillary products and services e.g. coordination of micro-mobility solutions & public art
- Demolition, grading and construction.
- Installation of Library products and services
- Staffing and Maintenance planning
Recent branch library construction projects without a mixed use retail/residential component have been budgeted between 30 and 50 million dollars.
Funding Sources
- Bonds
- Federal, State, and Foundation Grants
- City wide Developer Impact Fee (DIF) collections for libraries after 2022
- Developer Impact Fee (DIF) collected prior to 2022 (AKA lockboxes)
- Corporate investors
- Library Foundation and other non-profits
- Private investors
- Private donors
Among these sources, DIF fees present an excellent opportunity, with $517 million spread across 43 community lockboxes (including FBA, Urban Community, In Lieu and other funds) as of 2023. There is a history of intercommunity lending of DIF funds and the argument of nexus has been rendered moot in 2022 when City Council passed the Build Better SD initiative which merged the collections into a categorized city-wide spending model.
- Balance of all 43 lockboxes is $517 million
- Total encumbered lockbox funds is $80 million
- Total unencumbered lockbox funds is $198 million
- Mid-City lockbox balance is $3.8 million
- Unexpended Balance in Account Greater than 5 Years as of 6/30/23 is $178 million
Very few of the lockboxes, including the Mid-City fund, hold sufficient funds for completing infrastructure projects and while the City plans to replenish lockboxes as capital improvement projects (CIP) are approved, the funds in these lockboxes risk aging out as deposits hit a five-year deadline. Once a deposit without an attached encumbrance exceeds 5 years, it could be returned to the developer. Funds in this category stand at $178 million and have been investigated in 2024 by the San Diego County Grand Jury.
Furthermore, in 2022, a San Diego County Grand Jury report found that DIF fees were not being spent at the expected rate: “Community funds were insufficient to fund existing planned projects.[…]For many of these accounts the only activity is the expenses for City staff to ‘administer’ the account.”