A meandering river lined with shops and restaurants, à la San Antonio's famed Riverwalk. A tree-lined urban "Greenway" connecting pedestrians from parking areas and transit centers to downtown entertainment zones, commercial areas and public squares. A major hotel, modern new office buildings, hip urban row homes, a destination retail zone and a thriving arts and entertainment district.

Then: April 1992

Environmental Business Solutions (EBS), an SCS Engineers company, has completed a survey and site assessments for Harley Davidson of El Cajon, a motorcycle servicing and sales facility at 621 El Cajon Blvd. in El Cajon.

For the first time in history there are more Americans over 65 years of age than there are teenagers. San Diego County's senior population is growing at a rate nearly twice that of the general population. This tidal wave of seniors, with ever-increasing life expectancies, is fueling demand for more senior housing throughout San Diego County.

The city of Santee has focused its redevelopment efforts on the Santee Town Center area, which consists of 706 acres of master-planned development, incorporating commercial, residential, transit and recreational uses. The Town Center Master Plan encompasses the primary shopping centers and business district, and includes residential development, a 104-acre corporate office park and a 55-acre Town Center Community Park along the San Diego River. The central themes of the Santee Town Center Master Plan are pedestrian and transit orientation, and integration of the San Diego River into major projects such as the community park and corporate office park.

San Diego's growing population has created an ongoing demand for more classroom and office space. In response to this demand, "systems building" -- a method in which modular, relocatable buildings are premanufactured, then installed onsite -- has emerged as a time- and cost-efficient alternative to traditional construction.

The redevelopment wave is spilling into East County, with a record number of condominium conversions sparking renewed interest by retailers and businesses that are attracted to the area's changing demographics. The growing popularity of nearby executive communities -- including Blossom Valley, Jamul and Alpine -- is also fueling demand for commercial development by business owners who want to work closer to home.

This growing community of 55,000 residents is in the process of reinventing itself as the region's Golden Triangle East. At the core of the "new Santee" is Santee Trolley Square -- a high-end, pedestrian and transit-oriented development with shops, restaurants, water fountains, pathways and 1,000 trees, all surrounding the Santee Trolley Station.

On Aug. 1, San Diego State Athletics switched over to a new ticketing system making it easier for fans to order individual football game tickets online through the department's official Web site at www.goaztecs.com.