Imperial Beach residents, elected officials and developers will break ground Monday on the $5 million Bikeway Village project.
The 2.1-acre development along the 26-mile Bayshore Bikeway, overlooking the San Diego Bay Wildlife Refuge, is designed to transform two existing warehouse buildings into a contemporary rest stop with a host of amenities for bikers, walkers and visitors.
"It’s really about linking economically and ecologically compatible development next to the refuge and really revitalizing a part of Imperial Beach that has been pretty much forgotten," Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina said.
Bikeway Village will cater to bikers and walkers at the southern end of San Diego Bay. It will include cafes, a bike shop, an outdoor patio and a water bottle filling station.
"It serves the needs of residents in the neighborhoods," Dedina said, while also being a destination for "all these thousands and thousands of people that use that Bay Shore Bikeway," and those who "come to go bird watching."
The development's second phase will include a hostel and boutique hotel, retail offerings and a bike path that stretches to the Tijuana River Valley.
The project, approved by the Imperial Beach City Council in 2012, is being funded through grants, city money and the developer.
