Monthly Spotlight: El Cajon Boulevard

Every month we'll feature a "spotlight," a case study of a planning issue that could help inform our work together in the Black Horse Pike region. These spotlights are not meant to prescribe specific solutions for the Black Horse Pike region, but rather to help generate ideas and discussion. This month's spotlight is El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego, CA.

The history and evolution (and, therefore, the character) of El Cajon Boulevard is strikingly similar to that of Black Horse Pike. A major east/west route, El Cajon Boulevard evolved into an important auto-focused commercial corridor. By the 1940s, hotels, motels, gas stations, and auto-dealerships were the predominant business-types, and the architecture of buildings and signs were often whimsical and eye-catching. The construction of a major freeway and shopping malls in the 1960s and 1970s gradually drew business and customers away from El Cajon Boulevard. In response, in 1979 the El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District (BID) was formed, which evolved into the El Cajon Business Improvement Association.

Meeting #2: Corridor Issues and Opportunities

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, April 14, 2008 at 7:00pm at the James Bud Mullen Community Center at 29 E. Browning Road in Bellmawr for the next project meeting. The topic is "Corridor Issues and Opportunities." We will discuss some of the ideas that came out of Meeting #1 and select specific ones to move forward with in the near term. A detailed meeting agenda can be downloaded from the Meeting Materials section on the left sidebar.

Newsclip: Another Look at Regional Development

This recent opinion piece from the Toledo Free Press reinforces the notion that successful economic development requires a regional approach. "Central cities depend on surrounding towns and communities just as smaller towns and communities surrounding our central cities depend on them. The success of one is success for all; the failure of one is failure for all."

Welcome BHP-area Business Owners, Municipal Officials, and Residents

Welcome to the blog/website for the Black Horse Pike Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The purpose of this project is to support local governments and businesses within the Black Horse Pike region so they can, cooperatively, take greater advantage of economic development opportunities within their communities. To read a Project FAQ, see the sidebar at the left for a link to the PDF.