Mary Lynn, of San Diego, center, and others chant with signs during a rally against the mayor’s proposal to convert an empty warehouse by Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street into a 1,000-bed homeless shelter on Friday, June 14, 2024 in San Diego, CA.
Council members met again in private Monday morning to discuss a number of issues, including the Kettner shelter, and the exchange went so long a public meeting that afternoon started more than an hour-and-a-half late. Some officials have expressed concerns over the real estate deal — the initial proposal came with a possible $1 billion-plus price tag over the next 35 years — and no update was given from the dais.
Reactions from the public have been mixed. Shane Harris, a civil rights leader and head of the People’s Association of Justice Advocates, recently held another press conference to push for both a shorter lease and a series of public forums about the shelter. Others are more skeptical. More than 900 people have signed an online petition opposing the plan and a protest near the site was scheduled for Friday.
Regardless, the application notes that the land will be taken over in five years by San Diego’s multibillion-dollar Pure Water recycling system.Officials plan to soon stop using 200-plus beds for men in downtown’s Golden Hall, although a previous effort to close up shop was postponed amid growing numbers of people on the street.