-Editorial
Construction crews have begun work on a temporary pedestrian crossing at the corner of Heffernan Avenue and First Street in Calexico, right across the Sam Ellis Store, bringing life back to a site where generations ago, grandparents and great-grandparents walked across the U.S.-Mexico border into Mexicali. For many, this project feels like stepping into a time machine, rekindling the spirit of a historic crossing that shaped the identity of the Imperial Valley.
This temporary crossing is part of a larger effort by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to modernize the Calexico West Land Port of Entry. It will be located adjacent to the city’s architectural treasure: the 1933 Customs House, a Spanish Colonial Revival landmark that played a central role in Calexico’s growth as a border hub. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building was once the primary portal between two nations and served as a critical site where U.S. policies on immigration and trade were implemented.
Calexico’s legacy as a border town began in 1900, born from a surveyor’s camp connected to an ambitious plan to irrigate the barren desert. After a disastrous 1906 flood diverted the Colorado River, engineer George Chaffey intervened to fix the canal system. He then founded the Imperial Land Company and named the newly fertile area the Imperial Valley. With water came agriculture, and with agriculture came people—and a border town emerged.
The first U.S. Customs office in Calexico opened in 1902, followed by Mexicali’s office in 1904. The rise in cross-border traffic led to the creation of the 1933 Customs Building at Heffernan Avenue, designed under the federal Depression-era building program. Its construction—supported by local businessmen who raised $40,000 for the land—was a moment of civic pride. The building served as the gateway for travelers, workers, and families until 1974, when the port of entry moved two blocks west.
Today, the modern vehicle port next to the New River, opened in 2018, handles most of the traffic. But pedestrian crossings remain anchored in outdated facilities. In 2021, with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, GSA secured resources to complete Phase 2B of its border modernization plan. The next step is building a temporary pedestrian facility to maintain operations during the demolition and replacement of the current pedestrian building.
On April 16, the Calexico City Council unanimously approved the sale of an 11,400-square-foot segment of Heffernan Avenue to the GSA. This portion, unused by vehicles since 1974, will house the temporary pedestrian crossing. The facility will feature six inspection booths and shift foot traffic slightly eastward during construction. Once the permanent facility—set to include 12 inspection booths—is completed in 2026, the temporary structure will be removed and the area reimagined as a public plaza with landscaping, lighting, and possible public art.
The GSA chose to purchase the property instead of requesting a temporary easement, citing liability concerns. All legal and administrative costs will be covered by the federal agency, and no fiscal burden will fall on the City of Calexico. Environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act found no significant impact, and the project is exempt from California’s CEQA guidelines.
