City officials broke ground Friday on a library in San Ysidro, following more than two decades of discussion and planning.
Councilman David Alvarez, who represents San Ysidro, spearheaded fundraising efforts for the library, which is expected to open in 2019, the mayor said.
Alvarez said building a new library was one of his top priorities upon being elected.
“I was proud to work with the community to secure the site and funding for this long-awaited project,” he said.
An effort to overturn San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s budget veto failed to win support Tuesday, despite strong criticism from angry Democrats on the council. Councilmember David Alvarez called the mayor’s action to slash district funds ‘shameful’, and criticized the mayor for “failing to show his face here.”
Read MoreSan Diego voters could decide next year whether to direct increases in the city's hotel room tax revenue toward permanent supportive housing for homeless families and individuals under a plan outlined Tuesday by Councilman David Alvarez. "To date, every proposal brought forward, from industrial tents to campgrounds have been largely ineffective," Alvarez wrote in the memo. "It is abundantly clear that the most effective way to address homelessness is to have an ample supply of permanent supportive housing available for families and individuals that are close to or actually experiencing homelessness."
Read MoreTwo-thirds of San Diego's public school children qualify for the free and reduced lunch program, meaning they live in poverty, and 5,000 of the district's students are homeless. Monday morning, members of the San Diego school board, several parents and an elected county education official endorsed Councilman David Alvarez for mayor, saying his pro-neighborhood focus will help improve opportunities and outcomes for San Diego's most vulnerable children.
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