By Dora McCann Guerreiro | East Village Biz News

The East Village Association (EVA) represents San Diego’s largest Downtown neighborhood of 130 blocks between Seventh Avenue and 17^th Street. Currently an arts and industrial neighborhood in transition, East Village is anticipated to EVolve over the next decade to a mix-use community of more than 800-plus businesses and nearly 30,000 residents. As the EVA mission is to support and promote neighborhood businesses and residents to enrich our “new neighborhood” of the East Village, we want to congratulate, thank and welcome the new 18-person EVA board of directors!

The June elections, hosted by our neighborhood Tavern & Bowl (tavernbowl.com), was a chance for the public to come and support the diversification of the board who now represent both the storied, and evolving history of the neighborhood. Each candidate spoke on what East Village means to him or her and about their vested interest in commitment and involvement to bettering the community. The excitement in the room was high as EVA’s president, James Haug, introduced each of the 18 board seats.

“It’s an exciting time to be a small business owner, a property owner or a resident in the East Village, as we’re all here representing and championing the dynamic, new East Village vibe,” said Haug.

With some familiar faces, and some new faces, EVA is proud to have the support of 18 energized and passionate community representatives from our restaurants, residential properties, and businesses. EVA thanks you for your volunteerism as we embark on a neighborhood rEVive.

EVA is hitting the ground running with many new activation projects. You’ll start to notice the refreshing of the banner program, to newly decorate the street corridors with a design that captures the neighborhood’s authentic vibe. EVA will begin its rollout of a new signature placemaking project that in phase 1 is projected to include six to eight art installations capitalizing on the community’s urban culture; and seeks to create public spaces that promote the health, happiness and well-being of the residents, employees and visitors to the East Village. Tecture (tectureinc.com), a design and fabrication firm, will be designing and implementing these installations, with many on their team having emerged from East Village’s very own NewSchool of Architecture (newschoolarch.edu). EVA is also excited to announce a new and improved website (eastvillagesandiego.com), that truly matches the energy and diversification of the East Village. Always a progressing project, the website seeks to capture the necessary tools and resources for the community in a new user-friendly and intuitive format reflecting the growth and activity of the neighborhood. EVA is also in the initial planning stages of an inaugural, open to the public “Taste of East Village” on Saturday, Nov. 17, to be hosted at Petco Park in collaboration with Padres’ Pedal for a Cause (gopedal.org), a nonprofit cycling and run event raising money for cancer research. This event will provide attendees with a unique ballpark infield experience, taste of East Village restaurants, live entertainment, and the feel-good measure of being connected to a worthy cause. And with the soon-to-be-opening of the new EVA office space on Ninth Avenue, EVA will also be transitioning into a more organized operation to include greater continuity of committee meetings, open to the East Village Association membership public, which help shape the decisions being made. Please check the East Village Association website for committee information and upcoming meeting dates and times.

Just look up and you’ll see a new skyline of luxury residential towers, look out and you’ll notice contemporary placemaking projects, and look down to appreciate a cleaner and safer East Village street. Stay tuned, as it’s an exciting time to be living, working and exploring the livable urban East Village!

—Dora McCann Guerreiro is the executive director of the East Village Association. To learn more, visit eastvillagesandiego.com or you can reach her at dora@eastvillagesandiego.com.

Tags: Dora McCann Guerreiro, East Village, East Village Biz News, Park 12, The EVolving East Village