Communities like North Park, Little Italy, and the Gaslamp Quarter each have their own identity signs. Soon, La Mesa will too thanks to a project fully funded by locals because the adage is true — it takes a village.

After a lengthy fundraising process, the La Mesa Village Association (LMVA) says construction on the La Mesa Downtown District Sign is expected to break ground this fall.

The ~16-ft-tall archway will be located on La Mesa Boulevard at Palm Avenue — in the heart of the Village — designed to serve as a gateway into the bustling business district lined with small businesses and restaurants.

The left and right beams of the sign will boast the community’s nickname — “Jewel of the Hills” — and the center will say “Downtown La Mesa Village, Inc. 1912.”

Steve Clay was the first local to paint a tile for the sign's columns. | Photo via La Mesa Village Association

Part of the fundraising efforts included the LMVA partnering with the La Mesa Park & Recreation Foundation to sell tiles and brass plaques to the public. They will be painted and displayed on the two columns that will support the sign.

So, when it’s all said and done, the locals who supported the endeavor will continue to physically hold up the sign via the bases adorned with 1,512 hand-painted, 4-by-4-inch tiles.

Local Leigh Harns painted her very own tile, too. | Photo via La Mesa Village Association

All of the tiles are now sold and are being painted at CeramiCafe in Grossmont Center, and the LMVA tells SDtoday they expect to wrap up the “tile painting phase” by the month’s end.

The LMVA says the project’s engineering phase will follow and hopefully after that, construction of the sign will begin. We’ll keep you updated as it all starts to take shape.