Community News

24 Hour Fitness Center is prospective new tenant at Plaza de Santa Teresa

After our very successful efforts to encourage clean up and safety efforts at Plaza de Santa Teresa, a major new anchor tenant has been found for the center. Tom Wilson of Duckett Wilson Development Company, who is the property manager of Plaza de Santa Teresa at Cottle and Santa Teresa (formerly anchored by Lucky's), is currently in negotiations with 24 Hour Fitness Center to fill the anchor tenant spot, vacant since February.

Although initial neighbor reaction was overwhelmingly in favor of a grocery tenant in this location, efforts to secure one have not been fruitful. Trader Joe's received many neighborhood support letters but declined to open a store here.

The securing of 24 Hour Fitness Center, along with many neighbor concerns, has solidified Duckett Wilson's plans to renovate the Center. While design plans are not yet firm, a brighter, more open, lattice-style look is being considered.

Tom Wilson will present design plans for the center at our September Community Meeting at Santa Teresa High School (date TBA). We look forward to building, landscaping, and parking upgrades.

The then-deplorable condition of Plaza de Santa Teresa was the topic of our January meeting. The commitment of neighbors in alerting owners, businesspeople, and City officials to problems at the Plaza was very effective in bringing solutions to our neighborhood. We are very pleased with the improved conditions at the Plaza, including the maintenance and clean up work undertaken by Lucky's and Duckett Wilson, the pigeon barriers, and the enforcement by SJPD of the aggressive panhandling and loitering codes. We also appreciate the contribution of City Homeless Coordinator Vivian Frelix-Hart to relocate the homeless from the Plaza to safe and appropriate shelter, and our City Councilmember Charlotte Powers for being so attentive to our concerns.

The plight of the tenants of the Senior Center across from Plaza de Santa Teresa continues to concern many neighbors. The Santa Teresa Citizen Action Group has organized a Saturday afternoon Senior Shopper's Shuttle. We meet every Saturday at 3:00 at the Senior Center at 6254 Santa Teresa Blvd. to provide transportation for seniors to local grocery stores. We have a core staff of committed volunteers who participate weekly, as well as a larger group of neighbors who provide transportation on an occasional basis. This project has been a big success, and is very popular among the seniors as well as the drivers. Neighbors who would like to participate in providing transportation for the seniors' Saturday grocery shopping, please contact the Santa Teresa Citizen Action Group at STAction@aol.com.

In other Plaza de Santa Teresa news, Wolf Camera has moved to the new center at Bernal and San Ignacio. It is possible that the Round Table pizza will expand to use the now-vacant Wolf Camera space.

Other tenants will benefit from the fresh look and new anchor tenant at Plaza de Santa Teresa, as will the neighborhood.

The Santa Teresa Citizen Action Group appreciates the enthusiastic neighborhood support we have received on this and other topics of concern to our beautiful Santa Teresa neighborhood.