Last week, the team from AECOM presented a brief update on the Mission District Comprehensive Economic Analysis and Market Study. For those who have been following this blog, you might know that the study aims to provide insight to the City Council, property owners and any private developers who wish to develop in the Mission District. Specifically, the study will provide a broad look at the district and provide recommendations on future development potential and economic vitality within the Mission District.

So far, the AECOM team has conducted several visits to the district. Several preliminary observations were shared, which may be broken down to strengths, challenges and opportunities:

Strengths:

• The district is a walkable area
• There are several historic architectural elements, including the San Gabriel Mission and the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse
• There have been several streetscape improvements made to the district’s infrastructure
• The district is close to several employment centers and the City’s civic center

Challenges:

• There are issues with visibility for drivers who may be unaware of the Mission District
  • Specifically, a lack of wayfinding signs that point to the district from the City’s main arterial road, including Valley Boulevard
• Lack of cohesion among the buildings and types of businesses in the district
• Constrained traffic flow
• Limited parking and wayfinding signs
• The relatively small size of the parcels
• Distance from major freeways

Opportunities:

• Lighting and wayfinding improvements could introduce new traffic to the district
• The ability to consolidate parcels and redevelop key sites, such as the park and ride lot, the Playhouse parking lot and infill lots between properties

This study is still preliminary, but AECOM is expected to provide recommendations on the highest and best uses for the Mission District to the City Council by end of June. The report will also include recommendations and guidelines for implementation.