Vista staff weigh adaptive reuse, modular and hotel options; recommend city-owned 200 Michigan Ave. site for permanent navigation center

City of Vista staff told the standing committee on homeless that they evaluated adaptive reuse, hotel conversion and modular construction options for a permanent navigation center and recommended using the city-owned property at 200 Michigan Ave. for partial demolition, reconstruction and renovation.

The presentation, led by Jonathan Lung, the city’s homeless services program manager, summarized earlier council direction to explore options after the City Council allocated $4.5 million from year-end fund balance and the city subsequently received an additional $1 million in state funds, bringing the project budget to about $5.5 million. Staff said the city currently operates the Boy to Creek Navigation Center under contracts that run through Dec. 31, 2026, and estimated the combined annual city cost for lease and contracted services at about $1.5 million.

Staff outlined four business-park properties reviewed for adaptive reuse (2630 Business Park Drive; 1205 Avenida Chelsea; 2540 Fortune Way; and 1210 Distribution Way), noting tradeoffs such as distance to transit, parking and client privacy. For example, 2630 Business Park Drive is about 0.8 miles from the nearest bus stop, creating accessibility challenges; 1205 Avenida Chelsea is 0.3 miles from transit but could raise costs if a larger property is chosen; 2540 Fortune Way lacked sufficient parking and expansion space; and 1210 Distribution Way had only first-floor space for sale and…