Dear Editor,
The small saltbox house at the corner of Florida Street and El Cajon Boulevard is considered by many to be one of the earliest, if not one of the first, historic LGBTQ historic sites in San Diego. It was here in the early 1970s, in his apartment, that Bernie Michels, along with other well known and honored figures in the LGBTQ community: Jess Jessop, Thom Carey, Lloyd Dirk, Peggy Heathers, David Hollenbeck, Cynthia Lawrence, Jerry Peterson, Gary Vrooman, Pat Cluchey, Pat Byers, John Eberly, Don Johnson and George Murphy, organized, planned, developed and wrote the initial planning and incorporation documents for the very first LGBTQ Center for Social Services now known as The Center. The LGBTQ community has recognized most of these individuals and their names appear on the Wall of Honor at The LGBT Center. One could almost say this was where the San Diego LGBTQ movement sprang forth from and wouldn’t go back into the closet. It was here that Bernie and others decided that our community needed to take care of ourselves and be proud of who we are.
The entire 2000 block from Florida Street to Alabama Street along El Cajon Boulevard, along with its development entitlements, has now been acquired by Fenton Properties. This most likely will mean the demolition and the loss of this historic LGBTQ site. When this property was approved for development in 2005 and in 2008 and, yet again in 2011, there was no acknowledgement of the historic importance to the LGBTQ community of this apartment at 2004 El Cajon Blvd. This oversight of the LGBTQ connection to the building reinforces the opinion that the City has not yet recognized the historic significance of the LGBTQ community in the social and political development of San Diego. It is now 2014 and it is time for the community to speak up and save and preserve this historic LGBTQ site.
This property needs the recognition it deserves. Lambda Archives of San Diego supports an aggressive review of any proposed development by all community groups, public review boards, and requests definitive historic status for 2004 El Cajon Blvd. Mr. Michel’s apartment at 2004 El Cajon Blvd. is one of the earliest and one of the most important historic sites in the City to the LGBTQ community.
CHARLES KAMINSKI
Lambda Archives of San Diego
Thanks for the re-history lesson. Having noticed that building through it reincarnations as various business I had forgotten that link to our history.
To preserve it, why don’t we move the building in part or whole to the Centre Street side of the Center’s parking lot. There may be enough space at Centre and University so it would hardly affect the Centers parking at all. It could be a great little gift shop museum for San Diego LGBTQ history. Sales could benefit the Center programs.
I like John’s idea of moving it/part. If this is the roots of The Center, I think it is a project they should spearhead/overseen.
I never knew of this piece of history till now, for something so endeared to the community.
It needs to be designated to be preserved, and the word needs to get out for these meetings when the property goes through a review to determine whether it is historic so people can speak up for it. Did the building go through a historic review already?
If it’s to be moved, where? Center’s parking lot is very large; it would fit nicely there!
Please, someone has to save this building. Apart from the history, it’s a beautiful house.
We will see that this site is added to the National Park Services map of historic LGBTQ places.
I have notified NPS on their LGBTQ Initiate page. BUT if you know how to add it to the interactive map, please do so!
Never went through a proper historic review. In fact the developers lied about what buildings were on the site stating there was nothing that required HRB. Didnt mention the old 7/up bottling plant either.
The review is 10 years old. This is an illegal project. No way its “fully entitled”. I and many many other have been telling the city this for YEARS and they ignore us.
Bernie Michels confronted Todd Gloria face to face last year on the importance of the building and Todd blew him off. Its shameful considering Bernis is the one who worked tirelessly to establish the Centers non-profit status. Its reall a shame that the gay community cares so little about their history.
This building MUST be saved and kept at that location. Context is paramount to history. It cant just be moved somewhere else. Citizens MUST demand this permit start over.
and really shame on North Park planning group who approved this project in the first place when they knew the buildings on there needed a full historic review even if they didnt know the saltbox was the GL Planning center.
This city including the planning groups are saturated w/ developer interests. Citizens NOT groups need to demand this be saved for future generations.
Thanks!
If this building has been so important to our community than why has it gone neglected for decades? Did any of the people mentioned in the article own the building? How many other “apartments” did meetings occur are they all going to be historic? I have lived for 43 years near this site. I for one welcome making this transitional coridoor something that can be appreciated by all San Diegan’s.
People need to stop their whining, and pick their battles carefully. This is nonsense getting upset because a rotting teardown got torn down! Let it go.
There is nothing exceptional about this buildings architecture or location. I have lived near it for many years and it has always been an eyesore. The whole area is in desperate need of redevelopment. If it was so important, why has it been allowed to go into such disrepair? If you want the building, please by all means move to an area where you can care for it and restore it, otherwise let them improve the area where we live. You can’t let a building just sit for 20 years and fall apart then throw a fit when someone wants to make something nice in its place. If it was that important to you- you should have taken some kind of interest many, many years ago! I am all for preservation of historic buildings, but seriously this is crazy. I am a gay male and proud of our history and accomplishments, but I am more proud that someone finally cares about this area enough to try and improve and restore some respect to a beautiful area of town. This redevelopment will improve our neighborhood and raise property values and bring a once thriving area back to life.
You hit the nail on the bed, Gene. Nobody did anything about the building for years. And it was never a physical site for The Center. This is making a mountain out of a molehill. It is definitely NOT a historic site. I walked by the site today, and was glad to see the pile of rubble. You could smell the mold and rot from the sidewalk, and it wasn’t pleasant. Now let’s see the big building get demolished, and the apartment project started. That section of town desperately needs a positive change, as you stated.
Gene and David,
The LGBTQ community has lived in shadows for many years. Even here in the CA, even with some states embracing marriage equality, even with out elected officials, the LGBTQ community roots are in these off the fringe places. These locations; yes in apartments in North Park, yes in church halls in Cholla View, yes in closets with phone lines; this is where our community identity,, social services and common support for each other began. Not on Plymouth Rock, not in North Bay but in these small nooks and crannies. These are locations that need recognition for their social and political importance to the San Diego LGBTQ community. Yes many years of neglect and a few years of knowing about its importance. But now is the time. Not scrape the entire site but to recognize your and my freedom to declare as gay people and to write in a gay press. Without these places, we can only speculate if we could do these things now.