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-   -   SAN DIEGO | Boom Rundown, Vol. 2 (https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126473)

Streamliner Sep 25, 2020 4:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HurricaneHugo (Post 9053222)
The strip mall next to UTC is getting a makeover:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...w-trolley-line

This has been in the works for awhile now. Glad to see it get approval from Planning Commission. If you're unaware of the location, it's going to replace the old 90s commercial center immediately west of the Westfield UTC mall. It'll tie in nicely to the Blue Line terminus

Pics from the article:

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...ey-station.jpg

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...-esplanade.jpg

dirt patch Sep 25, 2020 5:38 PM

Here's the real Downtown SD rundown on construction boom: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...e-will-it-last

SDfan Sep 26, 2020 1:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Streamliner (Post 9053605)
This has been in the works for awhile now. Glad to see it get approval from Planning Commission. If you're unaware of the location, it's going to replace the old 90s commercial center immediately west of the Westfield UTC mall. It'll tie in nicely to the Blue Line terminus

Pics from the article:

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...ey-station.jpg

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...-esplanade.jpg

Lol. This is a shit project to have next to a regional transit hub. For gawd sakes, add some actual density. SD keeps building low density office parks and apt complexes with huge parking garages next to trolley stops. It's like we don't know what the definition of TOD is. :haha:

HurricaneHugo Sep 27, 2020 10:13 AM

Small chance that MCRD is closed...

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/new...training-base/

Northparkwizard Sep 27, 2020 4:27 PM

"Biotech buyer acquires most of Manchester Pacific Gateway for $1.5B waterfront life science campus."

Real estate firm IQHQ is taking over five city blocks along the bay for what it’s calling the San Diego Research and Development District
By JENNIFER VAN GROVE
SEP. 27, 20206 AM
Hoping to make a splash in downtown’s real estate market, a celebrated biotech office developer has purchased more than 8 acres of waterfront land to create a life science city along San Diego’s Bay.

Friday, the newly formed IQHQ real estate investment group, started by storied life science builder Alan Gold, completed its acquisition of around two-thirds — or five city blocks — of the development site known as Manchester Pacific Gateway. The transaction paves the way for what IQHQ is calling the San Diego Research and Development District, or RaDD, as a massive lab-filled campus where ground-floor retail and unrivaled bay views work to recruit the biggest names in the pharmaceutical industry.

“What we’re seeing in San Diego as life science thrives and matures here, and the capital is flooding it, is that the central markets are constricted,” said Tracy Murphy, president of IQHQ, in an interview with the Union-Tribune. “So through our relationship with Doug Manchester, in an off-market transaction, we were able to come to terms right after COVID hit to acquire this site. Our vision for it was not that of a conference center or hotel, but really a dynamic, waterfront urban life science city.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The purchase is subject to various local and federal agreements. IQHQ plans to begin construction on site infrastructure immediately with a stated goal of completing the first phase of the district by the summer of 2023. The overall project includes a series of mid-rise structures and one 17-story tower, as well as a museum, and 3 acres of green space and rooftop decks. Development costs are expected to exceed $1.5 billion, the company said.

Manchester Financial Group, meanwhile, will retain two of the site’s eight blocks for a hotel and 1.9-acre plaza, although the firm did not share a timeline for construction.

San Diego Research and Development District
“This incredible development will be the catalyst for biotech to relocate to downtown San Diego and will be the driving force for life sciences growth and expansion,” Doug Manchester, chairman of Manchester Financial Group, said in a statement. “With the entrepreneurism and leadership of IQHQ, and Alan Gold, San Diego will be one of the largest biotech clusters in the world.”

The change in ownership promises for the first time in years a flurry of activity on a large chunk of the 12 acres south of Broadway between Pacific Highway and Harbor Drive. The property in question has had a tortured history with redevelopment in the works since 1992, when the city and the Navy signed a development agreement. In 2006, Manchester Financial won a 99-year lease to build out its 3 million square-foot Pacific Gateway project in exchange for replacing the Navy headquarters. However, the mammoth hotel, office and retail project faced numerous setbacks, including lawsuits and difficulty obtaining financing.

Today, all that stands is the Navy’s all-new 17-story, 373,000 square-foot headquarters. The building is now complete with the Navy set to move in next month.

“It’s been a long time coming. Ever since the city did the development agreement with the U.S. Navy, we’ve been looking forward to redevelopment of this prime land on our waterfront,” said Brad Richter, who heads the city’s Urban Division and is managing on-going reviews of the new project. “Manchester Financial Group ... has struggled through litigation, recessions and all kind of complexities. So bringing on IQHQ seems like a perfect solution to bring forward the office portion of the development.”

Formed less than a year ago, IQHQ is the brainchild of Gold and partners, who have decades of experience in the industry. Gold, for instance, was the founding CEO of BioMed Realty Trust, which was sold to Blackstone Group in 2016 in a transaction valued at $8 billion.

Gold’s new firm is now focused on establishing an unparalleled live-work-play office culture in four markets: San Diego, San Francisco, Boston and the United Kingdom. Already, the real estate investment trust has raised $770 million and purchased a number of properties. Its strategy has been buoyed by a pandemic-driven real estate environment rewarding owners of lab space.

An interior rendering of IQHQ's Research and Development District
An interior rendering of the project shows a ground-floor restaurant with unrestricted views of San Diego Bay.(Courtesy, IQHQ)
“This project is right in the fairway for what we call a transformative project that can really meet the needs of where we think life science users, and how they live, are going,” Murphy said. “It is a bit of a pioneering move ... but the labor market is really down there. If you look at any of the big (pharmaceutical companies) that are now growing in San Diego, if they really want to grow their footprints and grow their staff, they really need to consider downtown.”

The biotech dream has so far eluded downtown landlords, in part because new construction has concentrated on residential towers. Just 1.3 million of office space has been built downtown over the past 20 years, Richter said.

Yet the city has, for the past two decades, wanted to attract businesses beyond government, legal and financial institutions to the market — with limited success. Now, a surge in downtown office development could help bring that vision to fruition, he said, referencing a list of active projects that includes the Horton Plaza office conversion project.

Currently, there is just shy of 1.15 million square feet of private office development under construction downtown, according to city development records. The sum doesn’t include the 1.35 million square feet of office space planned by the San Diego Padres for Tailgate Park. And IQHQ’s Research and Development District would introduce another 1.3 million square feet spread across five buildings, Richter said.

“The tenancy (developers are) targeting — life sciences — would be great for downtown,” he said, adding that the amount of in-development office space could also lead to oversaturation.

Real estate experts who caught wind of IQHQ’s interest earlier this year surmise that the firm can make happen what others have only talked about.

“New clusters have been very reluctant to come downtown, principally because ... they don’t want to be the first one to put their foot in the water,” said real estate analyst Gary London. “So with Alan Gold coming in, saying essentially that downtown could be a new biotech hub, the potential for him seeding a whole new industry is way higher than it has ever been. ... Whatever is achieved cluster-wise at (the new project) bleeds over into projects like Horton Plaza ... and ultimately Tailgate Park.”

The sentiment is not lost on IQHQ.

IQHQ's Research and Development District includes a series of mid-rise office buildings and one 17-story tower.
IQHQ’s Research and Development District includes a series of mid-rise office buildings and one 17-story tower, all facing the Pacific Ocean.(Courtesy, IQHQ)
“We’re a little bit of a trendsetter,” said Murphy, the IQHQ president. “There’s a lot of what I call, ‘copycat capital.’”

Beyond building best-in-class research buildings, IQHQ says it will pay special attention to the ground-level promenade, where the firm expects to put multi-level restaurants, marketplaces and trendy grocers, totaling as much as 200,000 square feet of retail.

The point is to keep workers on site long after the workday is done, Murphy said. With that in mind, IQHQ is working with design firm Gensler to create attractive buildings with natural light and enjoyable green spaces for the broader public.

Per the existing development agreement, the project will need the city’s input at various stages. Currently, city staffers are reviewing the proposed district’s conceptual drawings.

Will O' Wisp Sep 28, 2020 2:22 AM

^Welp, I'm happy MPG is still going through but this is definitely a bit of a downgrade. The twin towers that were originally supposed to be on the 2B block were 29 stories tall vs the 17 story tower they're going to build now. It looks slightly taller than the 17 story Navy HQ, so at least there's that.

The new hotel in block 3B also looks shorter than the originally proposed 29 story office tower, only a couple stories taller than the 17 story tower on 2B. I'm guessing it's somewhere in the low to mid-20s. The 2B tower also looks like it's been pushed a bit further away from the Navy HQ. Will need better pics to see if the podium covers that area or it's open space.

Rather sad about losing the twin towers ascetic, they really would have complimented the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Best hope is that whatever replaces the office depot during the next cycle is more encourage to go higher so they can see over the 17 story 2B building.

Streamliner Sep 28, 2020 3:08 PM

Pics from the article:

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...from-water.jpg

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...front-view.jpg

https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...d-exterior.jpg

mello Sep 28, 2020 5:37 PM

Regarding this downsized MPG and the development across from UTC some are finding underwhelming. At least stuff is getting built here in this economic climate so count your blessing for biotech in SD. Big layoffs could be coming in October with guaranteed loans to companies to hold on to employees thru 10/1 and start of 4th Quarter trimming.

I am not happy about the height of the towers at the North end of MPG being reduced, is this for sure happening? The big take away is can downtown boost high paying office workers in the core, if so and biotech leads the way in this effort we should be happy. I just really hope somehow 7th/Market can happen because its impact on the skyline will be huge having a 500ft. tower in that spot.

Will O' Wisp Sep 28, 2020 7:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mello (Post 9056730)
Regarding this downsized MPG and the development across from UTC some are finding underwhelming. At least stuff is getting built here in this economic climate so count your blessing for biotech in SD. Big layoffs could be coming in October with guaranteed loans to companies to hold on to employees thru 10/1 and start of 4th Quarter trimming.

I am not happy about the height of the towers at the North end of MPG being reduced, is this for sure happening? The big take away is can downtown boost high paying office workers in the core, if so and biotech leads the way in this effort we should be happy. I just really hope somehow 7th/Market can happen because its impact on the skyline will be huge having a 500ft. tower in that spot.

Just to be clear, 90% of that post is me guessing. The only thing that's been officially confirmed is that the 29 story twin tower hotel on block 2B is being changed to a 17 story single tower.

By the looks of it though the heights of several of the mid-rise structures have gone up by a few stories, so its possible the total amount of floor area hasn't decreased or has even increased. Makes sense from an economic standpoint, height is expensive and office workers don't pay extra for views, but I'm saddened by the loss to the skyline.

Streamliner Sep 28, 2020 7:59 PM

Regarding MPG, I'm not happy about the loss of height, but I kind of like the new architectural style. More variety, more modern. I was afraid that the previous design would come off looking something in Irvine.

As for Costa Verde, it would have been nicer for some more height, but it's 10x better than the 90s strip mall there now. It was a bit of a struggle because the neighboring retirement home residents were not too happy and kept pushing back.

SDCAL Sep 28, 2020 8:39 PM

RE: MPG - while I agree with others about the “downgrade” in terms of height, I think this project is a huge upgrade for our city.

In fact, if we really do get a vibrant biotech/life sciences hub in this location I believe this project could be as transformational for downtown as Horton Plaza was in the 80s or as Petco Park was for East Village.

Manchester’s previous project was just the same ol’ same ol’ hotel touristy nonsense that’s already in abundance downtown. This is the chance to bring an entirely new sector to downtown, and if it succeeds think about what could follow. Look at UTC and all the development that’s happened around that area - that’s from biotech. I think with the opening of UCSD downtown at park/market and the trolley line to UTC that can link the northern biotech hub to this potential one will be huge.

SDfan Sep 28, 2020 8:49 PM

I'm going to jump on the band wagon and say that MPG, while lacking in height, will be a net positive. The modern architecture will be more expressive than the watered down art deco Papa Doug proposed. I hope he reevaluates his remaining block and comes up with something better for his signature tower.

JerellO Sep 28, 2020 11:59 PM

I think most of can agree that the haircut is a loss for height in the skyline, but the diversity in architectural style will just make this area look less bland, like someone else pointed out.. less Irvine-ish. The new Navy headquarters looks great by itself in that specific style. I welcome this fresh more modern looking one by Gensler, which downtown lacks. I do hope MPG does a redesign of their tower since it will be their signature tower and front and center welcoming those coming in from the Navy ships and cruise ships. Should be more iconic than any other tower that will represent our city.

Will O' Wisp Sep 30, 2020 1:48 AM

New images in the MPG website!

https://www.manchesterpacificgateway...gs/slider8.jpg

https://www.manchesterpacificgateway...gs/slider9.jpg

https://www.manchesterpacificgateway...s/slider10.jpg

https://www.manchesterpacificgateway...s/slider11.jpg

It's hard to square some of these with the images from the UT article. The 2B block has a pair of 17 story towers now. Maybe the second will be in a future phase? The mid-rise in front of them is shorter as well.

One thing's for sure though, the main tower doesn't look like it's lost an inch of height :D

SDfan Sep 30, 2020 3:20 AM

^^I approve. That's a good redo. The old project was a messssssss.

Will O' Wisp Sep 30, 2020 4:12 AM

Further MPG news:

The Navy HQ is done! They have already started the process of moving into the new building. Demolition of the old Navy building will begin in December or January.

Construction on the IQHQ blocks is to begin "immediately". It is planned to be complete in two years.

The main tower will begin construction in 12-18 months.

Mimol742 Sep 30, 2020 4:41 AM

The old rendering looked much more impressive. Nothing special about this new revision. Wasted opportunity to build an impressive waterfront. Shame.

dirt patch Sep 30, 2020 5:42 AM

Mid rise will begin construction immediately. The high rise: don't know and not a given unless the complex leases very well. No major bioscience firm headed downtown for now. These are gamble that they could come downtown as North county becomes to crowded and expensive for firms to continue to operate there. Downtown definitely will have to improve its A game in order to attract bios or tech down there.

Will O' Wisp Sep 30, 2020 6:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirt patch (Post 9058888)
Mid rise will begin construction immediately. The high rise: don't know and not a given unless the complex leases very well. No major bioscience firm headed downtown for now. These are gamble that they could come downtown as North county becomes to crowded and expensive for firms to continue to operate there. Downtown definitely will have to improve its A game in order to attract bios or tech down there.

Is it one 17 story tower on that center block or two? The UT article says one tower, the images from the article show one tower, but now the pics on the MPG website are showing two 17 story towers.

HurricaneHugo Sep 30, 2020 6:31 AM

Council approves 1,800-unit housing development in Mira Mesa

https://fox5sandiego.com/news/local-...-in-mira-mesa/


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