OCEANSIDE — Green construction fences are up and building is underway on the second block of the five-block CityMark construction project.
Groundbreaking took place earlier this summer at the Mission Avenue and north Cleveland Street site. The project, dubbed 1 Mission Avenue, will sit four stories tall and hold 66 market-rate apartments, three retail spaces and a restaurant.
Trenching for the underground parking structure and infrastructure is currently underway.
Rick Wright, executive director of MainStreet Oceanside, said road closure is expected.
“Merchants are anxious, word is the end of the week,” Wright said.
Darra Woods, city associate traffic engineer, said road closure will be on a temporary, day-to-day basis, as needed. Needs of neighboring businesses will be addressed, and summer traffic will be taken into account.
“We don’t have any dates yet,” Woods said. “My understanding is the project manager of the construction company is having conversations with business owners about maintaining deliveries. He’s very good about being proactive with this project and minimizing impacts.”
Off and on closure of Cleveland Street is expected through project completion in 2016.
Currently there are parking and pedestrian restrictions on Cleveland Street. The sidewalk on the east side of the street is open.
Mission Avenue remains open to foot traffic in both directions.
There have been concerns with reduced downtown parking since two Cleveland Street lots were fenced off, which were formerly parking lots. One lot is the current construction site. The other lot, just south of Mission Avenue, is being used as a construction staging area.
Once construction is completed 1 Mission Avenue will include public parking for businesses within the project. Parking will be located in back of the buildings by the railroad tracks.
“Parking regulations are up to the business owner,” Wright said. “From my experience (with the Wyndham hotel) parking will be open to the public with a time limit.”
Wright said when the five-block CityMark project is completed it will create a truly different downtown.
“Residences downtown will make a big difference in the types of shops and restaurants people will see, and are asking for downtown,” Wright said.
Marriott SpringHill Suites hotel, which sits just southwest of the new project, is part of the five-block development. It was completed in 2014.
Plans are to develop additional retail and residential mixed-use on Mission Avenue and south Cleveland Street when 1 Mission Avenue is completed in August 2016.
The entire CityMark project is anticipated to be finished in nine years.
