La Mesa aims to have new city hall by 2029, but library expansion remains stalled

By Alexander J. Schorr

October 11, 2025 (La Mesa) — Following a September City Council meeting, La Mesa is moving forward with a redevelopment plan for a new civic center which has spanned decades. The current timeline calls for a new city hall to be completed as early as 2029, with expansion plans for the library to follow.  View the Civic Center Master Plan.

City manager Greg Humora said that he is  optimistic about the new timeline that has been laid out by the recent City Council meeting, and emphasized the importance for constructing a new city hall by as soon as 2029. “That would be amazing if we could pull that off,” Humora said. “I think it’s doable.”

What the Public Requires

At the Sept. 30 meeting, Councilmember Patricia Dillard voiced the public sentiment that renovations are vital, especially in regards to the library. “I can appreciate this potential design,” said Dillard, who illustrated that work on expanding the library “has been talked about for years now.”

The city’s grand redevelopment plans focus on an area known as the “Civic Center,” which is bordered by Spring Street, University, and Allison Avenue. La Mesa voters approved a bond measure back in 2004 that funded construction of a new fire station and police station: those buildings opened in 2006 and 2010 respectively. The city also finished construction on an interim library building and post office in 2008, but while the city staff labeled the building an “interim” library in the hope of securing state funding for further development, that funding hasn’t been presented. Since then, new construction on the Civic Center has slowed down.

There will be a new city hall: the centerpiece of the project will replace the city’s aging municipal buildings, which dates back to the 1950s and 1960s. The consulting architectural firm, HMC Architects, estimates a $35 million bill to build the new city hall. The due date for the new timeline still needs to be accepted by the city council, and the city must then secure a developer and a financing plan.

The Friends of the La Mesa Library have shown consistent support for the need of a reliable community library. Formed in 1969, they have been involved in the discussions surrounding the civic center project for many years.

At one point, a new library was to include a community theater, but that dream appears to have fizzled. Instead of building a new library, the City Council decided back in 2023 to pursue an expansion of the existing “interim” facility by moving it into the adjacent post office building. Ultimately, this will add over 6,000 square feet to the current library space that is available.

The La Mesa library expansion project has been significantly stalled by the lack of securing state funding, which was initially a hope of city staff. This absence of state funding is a major factor in the slowed progress of the overall Civic Center redevelopment plan.

According to SANDAG, La Mesa’s population has grown by 11% since the city started exploring redevelopment options in the early 2000s. Other cities in east County like El Cajon and Santee have also experienced significant growth in the last two decades— both are in the process of reviving their downtown and business areas.

The plans also include provisions for underground parking and potential residential buildings. The city of La Mesa is prioritizing the development of affordable housing on the former police station lot on Allison Avenue. When that project is completed, the city will shift its focus on the new civic center.

A new post office will be constructed next to the new city hall in order to avoid disrupting post office duties during the library expansion. Construction on the new city hall and post office is expected to happen before the library’s expansion.

As of October, there is currently no public record of the federal government or the US Postal Service (USPS) approving the relocation of the La Mesa post office; while plans include this addition to the new civic center. This step is part of a longer, multi-phase process.

City Manager Greg Humora expects that the city hall and post office will be completed before the proposed library expansion and voiced optimism on new housing. He did not offer additional updates on the timeline for the library.