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Mission Hills residents rally to save iconic building

Community members rallied outside the home on Fort Stockton Street to prevent it from being torn down.

MISSION HILLS, Calif. — Mission Hills residents fear a building that is more than 100 years old may be demolished soon. Community members gathered to protest and make their voices heard in hopes of keeping it intact. 

“It doesn't just mean a building, it means a community,” Community Activist, Patty Ducey-Brooks said. 

Throughout the years, the duplex home has been used for several businesses. Built in 1912, it's been a centerpiece in the Mission Hills community. 

 “So it has a lot of historic significance but iconic in the same sense, people know what it is from all over the city of San Diego and actually outside the city of San Diego. So it's important to keep these buildings intact and build around and complement what's already a part of this community,” Ducey-Brooks said. 

Mission Hills residents say a developer purchased the property and is now preparing to demolish the building.

“They're tearing down history for what? 400 square foot microunits with no parking and that is to me disrespectful housing it is not prideful housing for all income levels,” Mission Hills Resident Lisa Mortensen said. 

As soon as neighbors heard the news of the building in danger of being torn down, they took action. 

“So we reached out to the community and in less than a month, we got more than 1,100 hard signatures, it wasn't online and so we talked to hundreds of people, people of all ages, people who own people who rent, people who live here, people who walk here, people who come to all of the businesses here,” Mission Hills Resident Juli Hyde said. 

Community members hope their voices are heard and this rally will send a message. 

“Well live here, we care about the community, and we're all going to be living here long after the politicians have moved on, so our voice matters. It's really important and the developer needs to listen to us,” Hyde said.

Mission Hills residents tell CBS 8, they are working to meet with the building’s developer and city leaders. 

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