The La Mesa Village Association (LMVA) proudly announces the official completion of the downtown gateway sign! This community project—led by the LMVA in partnership with the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation as our fiscal sponsor, has brought a beautiful new focal point to the heart of the Village at La Mesa Blvd. and Palm Ave.
This landmark is a testament to the perseverance and spirit of La Mesa, and the LMVA extends its deepest gratitude to all the donors, volunteers, and civic partners who made this vision a reality. The sign now stands as a permanent, community-funded welcome to the historic downtown district.
Have you found your tile on the new sign?
Now that the sign is officially up, we love seeing everyone stop by to search for their personalized tiles! The two columns are adorned with beautiful brass plaques and hand-painted tiles funded entirely through your generous community donations.
Rest assured that every single tile purchased for this project was successfully installed. If you’ve looked and can’t seem to find yours, don't worry, we're here to help. Please feel free to email us at info@lamesavillageassociation.org and we will gladly point you in the right direction. We appreciate your incredible support in bringing this landmark to life, and we're happy to help you find your piece of La Mesa history!
Project History & Milestones:
Looking back on this incredible journey, we are so proud of what our community has accomplished together over the last eight years:
2018: The gateway sign concept was introduced by Tony Gaipa and John Bedlion. A dedicated sign committee was formed to lead outreach with businesses, residents, and the La Mesa History Center.
2020 – 2021: Initial collaboration with the City of La Mesa began. Despite a temporary pause during the global pandemic, the City Council unanimously approved the sign's location and a formal partnership between the LMVA and the LMPRF on December 14, 2021.
May 2022: The LMVA finalized the agreement with the LMPRF to serve as the fiscal sponsor for this project.
2022 – 2023: The primary fundraising campaign was launched, securing its first donation in 2022 and reaching the target goal by early 2023. Tile painting events kicked off in April 2023.
2024 – 2025: Pre-construction logistics—including geotechnical studies, engineering, permits, and contractor selection—were finalized following the full capitalization of the project.
February 3, 2026: The community gathered for the official groundbreaking ceremony.
June 9, 2026: Construction concluded with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, unveiling the painted tiles and officially welcoming the District Sign to the Village.
July 14, 2026: The LMVA formally donated the completed sign to the City at the City Council Meeting.
Thank You Community Sponsors
In The News
East County Magazine, February 15, 2026 - "A sign of things to come in the La Mesa Village"
CBS 8 San Diego, February 3, 2026 - Downtown La Mesa District Sign Groundbreaking
SDToday.com, June 7, 2023 - "Coming soon: La Mesa’s very own Downtown District sign"
La Mesa Courier, April 29, 2023 - "Tile painting event moves La Mesa Downtown District Sign further along"
East County Californian, April 28, 2023 - "Boosters gather for downtown sign support"
KUSI News, April 19, 2023 - "La Mesa Downtown District Sign campaign moves ahead with tile painting"
East County Magazine, April 19, 2023 - "LA MESA VILLAGE ASSOCIATION HAS ANNOUNCED THEY ARE READY FOR THE PUBLIC TO PAINT TILES FOR THE NEW DOWNTOWN SIGN"
San Diego Business Journal, December 12, 2022 - "It's a Sign - For La Mesa"
KUSI News, December 5, 2022 - "La Mesa fundraises final dollars for new downtown district sign"
La Mesa Courier, November 29, 2022 - "La Mesa Village Downtown District sign currently 83% funded"
KUSI NEWS, February 25, 2022 - "La Mesa invites public to 'leave their legacy' on Downtown district sign"
CBS 8, February 16, 2022 - "Jewel of the Hills | La Mesa prepares to install an archway sign"
La Mesa Courier, Dec. 17, 2021 - "District sign project moves forward"
Please direct press inquiries to: Elizabeth Ranta, marketing@lamesavillageassociation.org.
Questions ?
Questions? Please visit our Contact Us page.