LA MESA – A $20 million, four-story La Mesa apartment building, with plans for a ground-floor coffee shop, is meant to provide what developer CityMark is billing as “luxury living” for middle income tenants in a neighborhood that has historically been home to smaller projects.
Under construction by CityMark at the corner of Wilson Street and Grossmont Boulevard, Textur will have 49 apartments.
Managing Partner
CityMark
“This project is in a part of La Mesa that is zoned for mixed-use, but it’s not a part of La Mesa that has seen much development of that,” said Eric Naslund, a principal of Studio E Architects which designed the project.
The name of the project, Textur, was chosen “to play off the multiple exterior finishes we are using, including siding accents,” said Russ Haley, managing partner of CityMark.
“We’re really excited about this one with just the level of different detailing on the exterior, and we were able to incorporate that in the interior as well,” Haley said. “We always want our architecture to be compelling, and this project is definitely that.”
Due for completion in January 2026, Textur will have 27 one-bedroom apartments averaging 630 square feet and 22 two-bedroom apartments, averaging 1,000 square feet. Four of the apartments will be earmarked for low-income tenants.
“Most of the units are going to enjoy pretty nice views to Mount Helix and out to the west,” Naslund said.
The project will also have 1,294 square feet of commercial space where Haley hopes to attract a coffee shop as a tenant, a 730-square-foot gym, and 24 parking spaces.
A 900-square-foot lounge at the building entrance connects to the coffee shop space.
Naslund, who has deep family ties to La Mesa, said that the design of Textur takes neighborhood sensibilities into account.
“It’s near and dear to my heart so we wanted to do it right,” Naslund said. “I think of it as kind of our classic American small town. It has a really friendly, accommodating spirit about it.”
Naslund said the design was “a homage if you will to my memories of growing up in the ‘60s in La Mesa.”
Playful Features
Built in a rounded-L-shape, the most striking feature of Textur is a lattice work roof that soars over a terrace deck of 760 square feet atop a corner segment of the building between the two wings.
“We have a big common space under a trellis that offers really good views to the north and the east,” Naslund said.
The siding of that mid-section of the building is paneling applied in a way to create a pattern of vertical and horizontal lines running up and across the face of the structure.
The bottom floor at the corner has floor-to-ceiling glass wrapping around the commercial space and the 900-square-foot entry lounge.
Principal
Studio E Architects
“Think of it like an engagement ring where you have a central gold band then a jewel that is the focus of everything.
The stucco wings of the building would be the gold band and the rooftop deck, the gem.
First floor ceilings are about 14 feet compared to 10 feet on the upper floors.
“From an urban design, that is an important element, to make the ground floor seem more grandiose,” Naslund said. “We’re seeking to get a pretty active pedestrian zone right there at the corner.”
Adding to the textured look, apartment balconies tilt in different directions.
“There’s kind of a playfulness in the way the balconies work,” Naslund said.
In what is a signature look for Studio E, the project has splashes of color – red in this case – with the doorways leading from the balconies into the apartments.
Aside from its distinctive look, Haley and Naslund said that Textur will stand out because the site is on a prominent corner of La Mesa.
“This is a really good location, relative to getting to things. You can catch a bus on La Mesa Boulevard, you can walk across the street for shopping. You can even walk down the street to Grossmont Center,” Naslund said.
CityMark
FOUNDED: 2000
HEADQUARTERS: North Park
MANAGING PARTNER: Russ Haley
BUSINESS: Mixed-Use housing developer
EMPLOYEES: 75
WEBSITE: citymark.com
CONTACT: 619-231-1161; [email protected]
NOTABLE: CityMark has built more than 1,800 housing units.
