A meeting of old and new structures (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)
Apartments, North Park/University Heights

A Corner of El Cajon Boulevard in North Park Has Changed

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Two new visuals have entered the scenery at the southwest corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Oregon Street.

In celebration of its 85th anniversary, the beloved Chicken Pie Shop has undergone a much-needed exterior remodel. For starters, the signage now carries the restaurant’s name in red, just like it did in the days when the pie shop operated in Downtown San Diego and later in Hillcrest. (It has been at this current location since 1990.) In addition, the building was given a fresh gleaming-white paint job with red trim—a nice complement to the desert-style landscaping that now runs along the front.

Looming over the eatery are the brand new pet-friendly Parkline Apartments, which just began accepting lease applications. The multi-level housing structure semi-surrounds the Chicken Pie Shop and features 94 micro-units averaging 406 square feet. They are available as studios and one and two-bedrooms.

Parkline ranks among several other similarly modeled projects in San Diego that are small and do not offer tenant parking. The latter is part of a growing effort to get more people to use bicycles and public transportation, and at convenient cost-effectiveness to developers. But amenities such as a Smart fitness center and a rooftop barbecue and lounge are included.

The trio of developers—Titan Development, Thornburg Real Estate Ventures, and Malick Infill Development—reportedly spent more than $35 million to build the apartments.