Yea, I sure hope so. One day we will see this rise. On another note here is an interesting little article on the Mr A's building that recently sold. It is supposed to undergo some renovations under the new ownership. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...ancial-centre/

McMillin is going to hold onto Millenia for now while continuing its first phase after falling out of escrow. They also purchased the Palatine project in Little Italy and plan to break ground on it next year. http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/...mcmillin-sale/

^ Here is a photo of that little italy project.

http://media.utsandiego.com/img/phot...16bfc7c35538df

The former Gran Havana site in the Gaslamp (J St. between 5th and 6th) looks like it's going to be a Montage Hotel, and apparently it's "under construction"?

http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...wUG2-SSoHRXhdA

Anyone able to confirm whether they've actually started?

^ Still being used as a parking lot.

Here is a webcam for the Sempra project, where you can see the lot.

http://www.earthcam.net/projects/sempraenergy/

Can't believe I let myself get a little excited there.

The fact that the new hotel will be a Montage is very exciting though. Lots of people on here have been wanting a 5 star hotel in the Gaslamp area. I would say this is a step above the Ritz if not on par.

Montage is new to me, but makes for potentially 3 5-star hotels Downtown. Rumor has it Manchester is in talks with Mandarin. The port wants the Lane Field South site to be luxury and it seems to be going in that direction from what I hear. And this Montage makes 3.

Very interesting. I think the north embarcadero sites are the better sites for luxury personally, gaslamp detracts a tad from luxury in my mind. The waterfront helps too.

I'm glad to hear about the Montage. San Fiego desparately needs 5 star hotels. Crackertasik, Where did you hear about the Mandarin Oriental?

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but I keep seeing articles saying that San Diego is in contention to receive a MLS team. I wonder who is behind this and if they hope to put the team in a new Chargers Stadium.

I sort of agree and disagree.

On the plus side, I think that a hotel like Montage in Gaslamp will help keep that area from descending into a frat party vibe. The hotel could also spur more retail in that area.

Please post if you find something :cheers:

Rumor from hotel development colleagues casing the market for deals. Again just rumors. Lane Field South though has to be luxury, per Port requirements so that is a positive.

I agree Spoonman, the Montage will help hold off the fall to kitschy land and will hopefully improve that area to be more upscale with the offerings. It already is really fun and cool to me. My statement is more about the future of the north embarcadero than the faults of the gaslamp. If it were my money and my development, id choose the embarcadero. the promenade, the outdoor markets, the parks, the waterfront, the museum, and retail will follow. I see gaslamp as the riverwalk san antonio of san diego, or the 3rd st promenade santa monica of san diego. Those arent bad, but they arent necessarily exclusive either.

I'm nervous about hotel development on port lands. The California Coastal Commission just shelved the Sunroad Hotels by the airport because their weren't any "affordable lodging" options in the proposal. So "luxury" might not be so easy to approve at the moment.

The Broadway Complex is at least 5 years away though, so hopefully the Coastal Commission can come up with reasonable guidelines for what they want in terms of "affordable lodging."

Hard to know what will please the Coastal Commission...they don't seem to give much in the way of "guidance". The hotel that was supposedly rejected was a Holiday Inn or similar brand...what would please them, a hostel? Maybe we should make it a campground for f^*!'s sake.

Well if you notice, Lane Field North is a dual branded development, both Focus Service. You might say WHAT!!? but it is because the Port wanted affordable hotels in the area.

Lane Field South, however, they specifically want a luxury property. God knows why they do what they do, but luxury on that particular site will get the go ahead from them, and actually nothing lesser, if it makes financial sense for the developer.

I think it would be a no brainer to bring MLS here! They would deserve their own soccer designed stadium. Soccer in cavernous football stadiums doesn't work.

So how is it exactly that the Coastal Commission can dictate what a property owner can do with their land other than height and usage (Hotel/Residential/etc). If the land is zoned for lodging and the hotel is not a highrise and within height limits for a designated area how do they have the power to restrict the type of hotel that goes there? Sounds like Soviet style central planned oversight to me.

Especially if a Holiday in was proposed and that is not "affordable" I mean come on who are these people on the Commission and Faulconer should be screaming bloody murder or this kind of thing saying "Its holding back quality jobs for our hard working families." (Family part is in jest because he always says that, what about people who don't have kids he doesn't give a shit about them only "Families")

The costal commission is just another tool for accomplishing political agendas. Obviously, the affordability of a hotel has nothing to do with the CC's mission or powers. But in practice they use their clout more heavily when the project is not aligned with their political leanings.

I am not sure how an affordable hotel can "protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the environment of the California coastline" better than a luxury one :uhh:

I am not sure about other projects but the Lane Field land is actually owned by the Port, and the developer negotiates a long term ground lease to build/develop. So in that instance the Port has every right to be an finicky and overbearing as they want to be.

I assume that is the case for a lot of the land on the water in SD where the Port seems to be "in the way".