Article by Jennifer Van Grove  |  Read full article at San Diego Union-Tribune

Mira Mesa’s abandoned Epicentre building is on the cusp of new management as city leaders have OK’d a real estate deal that will allow the county to remodel and reopen the long-shuttered property fronting Mira Mesa Boulevard.

Tuesday, the San Diego City Council unanimously approved a 45-year lease agreement with San Diego County. Under the contract, the county will pay $1 per month — or $540 in total not including operating costs — to rent and manage the facility as a youth-focused community center.

With their vote, the council also formally designated the property as exempt surplus land and waived two council policies, one that would have required the city to obtain market rent for the site and the other designed to prevent conflicts of interests in real estate transactions.

The action tees up the lease’s consideration by the County Board of Supervisors on July 17. The county, which has already allocated $10.5 million for improvements, expects to start construction in early 2025.

The contract also paves the way for the Epicentre’s revival, which was spearheaded by County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer.

The county’s parks and recreation department, which is overseeing the project and will operate the facility, intends to run the site as a youth-focused community center.

The Epicentre will offer daily drop-in recreational and social activities, alongside mentoring and tutoring services, music and art programs, gardening and cooking classes, and fitness classes, according to county plans included in the lease. The current design calls for a kitchen, game room, music room, workspaces and lounge spaces. The project also includes a garden, outdoor recreational and lounge areas, and an open lawn.

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