Oof, hate to agree with the NIMBYs on this one but the developer's rationale for the density bonus is a very cynical twist of the law, and a huge stretch. Kind of goes to show some of the issues with the state density bonus law, as it can be interpreted vaguely in a way that subverts zoning expectations laid out by planners and can kick up a lot of noise in the community. That being said, this is a cool looking project and is in no way out of scale for the area, so really I suppose my bone to pick is with the base zoning.
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Tuesday, City Council members will vote on whether to allocate another $27.3 million from downtown-specific funds to the now $79.6 million project. The action, if approved, tees up construction to start in August on the first phase of East Village Green, or 2 acres of public park amenities, including downtown’s first recreation center. Per the updated timeline, the project should be completed in February 2025. The latest ask, which does not include money from the city’s general fund, comes 2.5 years after the council approved a $52.3 million budget for the park. Since then, the city has worked to secure permits. In late 2021, Civic San Diego solicited bids for construction. “Both qualifying bids blew the budget significantly,” said Christina Bibler, who is the city’s director of economic development and noted that increases to construction costs over time were to blame. “It was a shock to everyone. It was much more excessive than we had ever expected.” —————————————————- She’s an economic director for development and is “shocked” that things go way up in price when they sit on them for years? Hmmmmm. Ok. :shrug: |
San Diego needs more park space, especially Downtown. The problem with this project is that half of the "hard costs" is devoted to providing a two-level underground parking structure for park goers, "staff" and "monthly passholders." $34.9 million to provide 182 parking spaces...Downtown. Why? Are people going to be driving from other areas of the county to use this fairly small park? How many staff does this park require that an underground parking structure must be set aside for them? Monthly passholders? Why should adding a park entail providing monthly paid parking? It's a park, not a general parking facility.
This is so typical of the wrong-headed approach to planning in San Diego. It's as if city leaders thought San Diego had vast financial resources. The little money the city has gets spent on astronomically expensive parking, and then people just shake their heads at the obvious waste and vote no on the next park or infrastructure bond issue. An even more outrageous example is SANDAG's out-of-the-blue proposal to spend $4 billion on two people mover links to San Diego's single runway airport. Because other cities have rail links to the airport. Never mind that San Diego's rail transit system is severely underdeveloped, and that relatively few people will be able to take transit to access the airport people mover. And that few people in the county put a higher priority on a people mover to the airport than on more basic infrastructure like pothole-free streets and decent bus and rail transit. |
Article on the Quince Apartments project in Bankers Hill
Bankers Hill neighbors fight against proposed high-rise building
‘Quince Apartments’ would bring 162 units to Bankers Hill, zoning for the area only allows 27. Proposal one of many under city's new Complete Communities Program. https://media.cbs8.com/assets/KFMB/i...3_1140x641.jpg https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/lo...pxZt0GblmCppGc Quote:
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First look: 37-story downtown San Diego tower proposed for Island Avenue
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...-island-avenue San Francisco-based Cresleigh Homes, which has built multifamily projects throughout California, plans for 443 apartments, a small commercial space (about 985 square feet) and two levels of underground parking. The proposed 20,063-square-foot site is on Island Avenue between 6th and 7th avenues near Petco Park and across from Sempra’s headquarters. It would take the place of Ballpark Self Storage. Early estimates put the cost at nearly $233 million, but the developer said they are in the process of coming up with a new projection because of rising costs. https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...2%2Fa-03.1.jpg https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...1-island-1.jpg https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...land-ave-3.jpg |
A couple of blocks in Little Italy/Columbia on West Ash st being sold by the state for "affordable housing"
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/micha...140000221.html https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/Ec...eef55f714ed02c |
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:previous: The tallest building shown in this rendering looks considerably taller than the 500' FAA height limit. Maybe over 600'. Is this possible? Does the rendering exaggerate the height? Is this proposed development moving ahead, or is just another proposal that doesn't go anywhere? I hope it goes forward. Looks good & breaks the "tabletop" skyline if the tallest really is >500' as it appears to be. |
The scale of that tallest tower in the rendering does seem off; both in its height and its mass. That thing is a beast! hahaha
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Someone please post the new SDUT Article about City Hall
That Voice of SD article is old. I noticed in yesterdays UT there is an article titled "Is San Diego getting a new City Hall" with updated info about this project. Its behind a paywall. The image showed new renderings. If someone with a subscription can put it here so we can discuss that would be awesome :cheers:
Pinnacle Twin: Crane has been up for months now and building is still not at ground level, seems like they aren't really doing anyting. Manchester Hotel Tower at RADD Lab: No digging going on a bunch of old wood pilings are stacked on the site.... Shouldn't they be getting down and dirty on the parking garage by now:shrug: |
Is San Diego getting a new City Hall?
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1350 Front Street. |
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https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...et-page-35.jpg |
So this is a bit confusing the renderings of Michaels Organization towers is more to the North than the other renderings on this same page with the tall tower. That huge tower project has stuff on B and C street. The new renderings aren't on those blocks. So what will happen with all those crappy city buildings along B and C if the Michaels Project goes ahead would they be put up for sale for private development and demolished?
We need clarity on what is going on here. Looks like the State already let them buy the land which is a good sign things may move forward quickly. |
More pics with their respective descriptions:
https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...-rendering.jpg Developer The Michaels Organization was recently awarded a 3.2-acre downtown site owned by the state of the California. The firm’s initial proposal calls for 1,007 residential units and a new City Hall complex for the city of San Diego. https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...et-page-31.jpg In this artist rendering, an egg-shaped architectural feature appears to double as the new home for City Council chambers. The project is pictured looking south from W Ash Street with proposed city office facilities on either side of the architectural feature https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/d...et-page-35.jpg The proposed Michaels Organization project at 1350 Front Street as seen looking southeast, with the city’s new office facilities and a rooftop park pictured in the foreground. I disagree with the caption that says the egg will double as the Council chambers. It's way too small. |
San Diegans: Housing prices are out of control and public transit is a mess!
SANDAG: https://wompampsupport.azureedge.net...F192%2F398.jpg |
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The buildings while not bad looking look like corporate office towers vs. grand civic edifice that many city halls. |
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I can see the Variety headline: "San Diego Lays an Egg with New City Hall Proposal" I kind of like the Toronto City Hall built about 50 years ago. Rather than an egg, they have a circular structure, somewhat resembling a flying saucer for the council chambers, set between two semicircular high rises with city offices. Or just build an updated version of L.A. City Hall. An iconic tower if there ever was one. Not exactly like it, but iconic and dignified seat of government. Or just go totally futuristic. Maybe a skyscraper in the shape of a double helix spiral like DNA, with exterior double helix bracing partially supporting the attached floors, along with a central core as the main load bearing element and elevator housing. San Diego aspires to be a center of biotech, so that would be appropriate. |
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http://brettalan.com/wp-content/uplo...n-D7A_0320.jpg Until 1964 this was San Diego city hall, as well as the county seat of government. But then the City outgrew the shared space and transferred to the buildings we know now, leaving the County in control. Wish it had gone the other way, I think we can all agree a historic Spanish Revival tower on the downtown waterfront would be a perfect city hall. |
^ That's a gorgeous building!
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