A decade-old eyesore: Project stalled at an abandoned La Mesa gas station

Anyone who heads down Fletcher Parkway will notice the abandoned gas and smog station at Jackson Drive. It’s been empty for more than ten years.

Residents and local businesses are eager to see something there.

“It’s a waste of space,” said Manuella Fatho, an employee at Petrino’s Greek Restaurant across the street. She and other residents have called the vacant lot “ugly” and “an eyesore.”

In September 2023, Cushman & Wakefield SoCal Retail Advisors announced on their Instagram page that they were leasing the property to QDOBA, a growing Mexican restaurant chain.

More than two years later, the property remains abandoned.

Remnants of the previous business, La Mesa Auto Spa Smog Test & Repair, are still visible — its sign remains along with a boarded-up building that has fallen into dis