Aw man doing that for HNTB sounds like a lot of fun, I would love to do that. Something tells me that the demand and directness of alignment favors the SF-LA route first. I know its nobody but the NIMBY's fault for why there isn't a more direct alignment from LA to SD via LOSSAN (I bet they could have trenched it to avoid obstructing views but whatever) and instead goes through the growing (or was growing I don't know how it is now) Inland Empire, but that fact can make the train less favorable than driving on the 5.

Kopp is no longer Chair of CHSRA, Anahiem Mayor Curt Pringle is.

What is different with HSR was altered by AB3034; no segment is prioritized for implementation. That said, the CHSRA has not come forward and laid out a plan for project phasing, construction or implementation.... other than what is illustrated by their applications for ARRA funding, which is largely predicated by project readiness.

It's the largest project in the history of the State; shouldn't CHSRA have an implementation plan?

We do know that LA Union Station to Anahiem is furthest along in planning, environmental and design work. It's also represents the largest portion of ARRA funding applciations from the State; I believe. The SF peninsula is probably right behind that... and little to zero is mentioned about LA to San Diego. Although past commetns from staplsla indicate tunnel or trench; which is welcome and of great interest.

San Diego's Airport Needs on Gizmodo
 

http://gizmodo.com/5390519/san-diego...ity-of-its-own

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...0x_floaty2.jpg

you've got to be kidding me.

That's been around for awhile. Don't see it in our lifetimes though. Chances of Miramar becoming the next ATL or O'hare let alone a simple 2 runway airport seems more likely. Plus, I don't see why the thing can't JUST be an airport. Why all the additional stuff? Sure put on a marine research station but why the rest? An airport would make good revenue.

I think we'll have a better form of transportation than airplanes before this city has a replacement for Lindbergh. :haha:

Once HSR is up and running to San Diego, 1/3rd to 1/2 of Lindbergh's flights will possibly vanish. Those are the in-state commuter flights... mostly oeprated by Southwest, American Eagle, and so forth. At that point, capacity will not be Lindbergh's problem... length of runway would be.

That's the truth. We will be teleporting long before we're flying out of a new airport here in SD.

well it'll probably be planes that can hover or at least vertical take off so runways are obsolete. anything to lose the height limit please.

Anyone know what they are doing on tenth between the bowling alley and the cowboy star? They gutted the place and seem to be rebuilding it from the studs up

Land deal would result in high-rise courthouse
County offering state a city block

By Jeff McDonald
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. October 29, 2009

County officials want to give California an entire city block so the state can build a 17-story Superior Court complex that would consolidate services in a new downtown San Diego high-rise.

The building would include 71 courtrooms — a project judges and court administrators say is badly needed. If county Board of Supervisors approves the deal next week, the $660 million development could open in 2015.

“We're really excited about this,” said Kenneth So, presiding judge of the San Diego County Superior Court. “We have a very substandard facility.”

The old county courthouse opened in 1961. When lights need to be changed in his courtroom, So said, men in hazardous-materials suits rope off the area because ceilings are contaminated with asbestos.

His remarks were made during a meeting with The San Diego Union-Tribune editorial board, attended by other officials as well. The board regularly invites newsmakers to discuss current events.

Historic budget shortfalls earlier this year forced state courts to close one day per month to trim expenses. Even so, San Diego County courts executive Michael Roddy said a new courthouse is needed.

“The real key is to look beyond the short-term economic problems,” Roddy said. “We can't wait another 50 years to build a courthouse.”

A planned tunnel between the central jail and the new courthouse would improve the transporting of inmates, Roddy said. Inmates now are shackled and moved through corridors, often in view of jurors and victims.

The newer Hall of Justice, just west of the old courthouse, would be unaffected.

The site for the new courthouse is known as the Stahlman Block — bounded by Union, West B, State and West C streets. The county has been buying parcels there since supervisors realized they eventually would need more space. The block was appraised last year at about $36 million, Supervisor Greg Cox said.

The high-rise would be built using a portion of the $5 billion in state bond money approved for new courthouses. The money would be repaid through parking and court fee increases.

The San Diego project is considered critical by state officials, and the county is getting a larger share of the state bond money than usual as a result.

“This is a win-win-win,” Cox said. “Usually San Diego County gets the short end of the stick.”

In exchange for giving the state the Stahlman Block, the county would regain ownership of two nearby buildings that supervisors gave to the state last year as part of a mandate to turn over control of county courthouses to California.

The state would also get to use 18,000 square feet of space at the South Bay Regional Center in Chula Vista for four new courtrooms, under the agreement.

The agreement with the state comes just over a year after the county transferred title to its court-only facilities to comply with a 2002 law that required counties to shift ownership of courthouses to the state. Shared-use buildings like the Hall of Justice were not part of the land swap.

Cox said that, short of the land-swap deal, the state probably would have built in Kearny Mesa, where land is cheaper. If that had happened, the county would have been forced to pay millions of extra dollars a year to shuttle detainees from jail to court.

Under the deal, the state would retain the old courthouse property, except the portion north of West B Street.

The two facilities that would return to county ownership are the Madge Bradley Building on Fourth Avenue and the Family Court Building on Sixth Avenue. The state would keep using them until the new courthouse is opened.

Overview:

Background: A 2002 law required counties across California to transfer court facilities to the state.

What's changing: Supervisors will consider giving the state property to build a 17-story courthouse in exchange for two buildings and an underground tunnel to transport inmates between jail and court.

The future: The new high-rise north of the Hall of Justice could open in 2015.

http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/...thouse_map.jpg
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...&zIndex=191026

what's currently on that site?

Just a flat-surface parking lot and a bail bonds joint.

I can't wait to see the design of the complex. I wonder if it will be similar to the federal courthouse now being constructed?

Sofia Hotel parks their valet customer's cars on that lot.

For interested folks:

CHSRA new vid

Here's what I came across:
http://www.casd.uscourts.gov/uploads...SD_Cth_New.jpghttp://www.casd.uscourts.gov/uploads...SD_Cth_New.jpg

BTW, here's a render of the library:
http://www.library.ca.gov/lba2000/im...ive%20Best.jpghttp://www.library.ca.gov/lba2000/im...ive%20Best.jpg

Here's a new story on the future of the downtown San Diego library:

http://www.sdgln.com/news/2009/10/30...er-far-reality

Tuesday supporters of a proposed $185 million downtown library in San Diego’s East Village applauded the City Council’s decision to put the plan out to bid. Though it’s an important step forward toward reality, the future of the long-awaited central library remains uncertain.

Since it was first approved in 1995 the library has gone through several designs, two possible locations and one grant extension. The extension came after a threat by the state to pull a $20 million grant unless the city took action. Most recently, the project was altered to include a 450-student charter school. Because of this addition the San Diego Unified School District will pay $20 million in bond money from the 2008 voter approved Proposition S.

The San Diego Public Library Foundation says it has $37 million in pledges from private donors toward building the project. However the $185 million construction estimate for the new central library was made four years ago, and current fundraising estimates have the city coming up almost $40 million short.

Supporters of the library say it wouldn’t cost the city any additional money from the general fund, but those in opposition disagree.

“I’m certainly not opposed to the concept of the library, but due to the city’s $200 million deficit and the economic instability, I don’t think this is the right time to proceed forward as planned” said Lani Lutar, President & CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. “The foundation won’t produce a letter of credit for the pledged money. And should the pledged money not come through San Diego will be forced to make up the difference. Also, the city can’t afford to build the main library because it would increase cities operating costs. You’d have a great downtown library, but at the expense of the branches.”

To date the city of San Diego has spent a little over $17 million in public funds for the project, which currently is an empty lot. The majority of the money spent has gone to the project's chief architects, Rob Wellington Quigley and Tucker Sadler Architects and their subcontractors. The $17 million already spent is part of $80 million of funds from the Center City Development Corporation (CCDC) to help finance construction of the library.

At Tuesday’s meeting three members of the City Council were hesitant to spend any more public funds for bids on the library.

“We are facing 27 percent cuts to all city departments next year,” District One’s Sheri Lightner said. “This central library vision may come at the expense of basic city services upon which all of our constituents rely.”

District Five’s Carl DeMaio proposed shelving the downtown library for now, and re-allocating the $60 million earmarked for the library to repay outstanding debts on Petco Park and the Convention Center.

In a memo from DeMaio to the City Council and Mayor Jerry Sanders dated October 19th, DeMaio says “The potential savings available from abandoning the Downtown Library project display the inaccuracy of the notion that the project has ‘no impact to the General Fund.’ The facts are clear: canceling the Downtown Library provides immediate funds to help close the General Fund budget deficit – and will take pressure off branch libraries that might see cuts and closures in this tough budget year.”

The library ultimately got the six votes needed by the City Council to proceed to the next step. As District Six Councilwoman Donna Frye said at Tuesday’s meeting, “I’d like to know how much it is. What I will do ultimately when you come back with that I don’t know, but I think it’s reasonable to have the opportunity to find out.”

Putting the plan out to bid will cost San Diegans $500,000 in capital improvement funds - $440,800 will be spent on contract amendments and $59,200 will fund additional costs related to the library.

If constructed, the downtown library would be at the center of the city’s library system, including space for adult literacy programs, art exhibits, technical services, a rare book room and a general resource center including information on the entire region.

At Tuesday’s City Coucil meeting Lutar said “instead of proceeding as planned we need to get creative in how we address our cultural needs. If this can be achieved through the redevelopment of a civic center or the joint use of a general library and city hall, and distribution of books through a warehouse it may be more cost effective. The economic situation requires that we explore all options”

The bids should be concluded by May, 2010, which will allow the City Council to make a final decision regarding the future of the library with specific financial figures.

The proposed site of the downtown library is on a vacant lot at J Street and Park Boulevard in East Village, near Petco Park.

Thats the federal not the state courthouse.

And thanks bmfarley, nifty video.

The usual weekly article regarding a new stadium for the Chargers:

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/spor...-67798277.html

Except, the downtown site is not really the Wonder Bread site. That building has a very small footprint relative to that needed for a stadium.

Additionally, there is another property that has a much larger footprint and greater influence in the region... MTS. Relocating their facilites is possible, but that dimishes their abilties to provide effecient service and comes at a greater public cost... with long term implications.

[QUOTE=dl3000;4533772]Thats the federal not the state courthouse.
/QUOTE]

http://cdn.bleacherreport.com/images...02_feature.gif

Thanks for clarifying...If I come across the other one, will post!

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2...7/?latest-news

San Diego Airport rated in top 10 by Conde Nast.
When travelers are asked, they nearly always marvel at the location of the airport and its proximity to areas that they want to visit.

I suppose most of you would like to move the airport for your short-sighted reasons and the tourists be damned.

I get the sense that most dont have a clue what it takes to build an economy.

Go back to your computer games, they keep you from grown up activities in the real world.

That story is old as fuck.

[QUOTE=leftopolis;4534301]No problem. Thanks

Yeah because thats the only reason the airport is any good. :rolleyes:

Helps to have flights from more markets and the current airport can't do that. Shortsighted my ass.

I see San Diego is yet another city stuck in the rut of revolving sports stadiums for greedy-ass teams who want nothing more than to have shiny new facilities built almost entirely on the backs of the taxpayers. How pleasant... ;)

Of course, I'll be the first one to say that Jack Murphy, err, Qualcomm, err, whatever the hell it's called now, is an outdated POS... Building a stadium in or near downtown makes a lot of sense, though I don't think it will do as much for the area as, say, Petco Park did. Not enough games played every year, not enough year-round usage of the stadium...

Aaron (Glowrock)

What a freaking joke! While yes, Lindbergh Field has an amazing location for tourists, public transit access to and from the airport is pretty pathetic right now, and of course there's the little problem called the airport is woefully outdated, operates with only one runway, and has absolutely no expansion room whatsoever.

San Diego needs a new airport, no question about it. However, I see no reason why it can't operate with two mid-sized airports, instead of building a huge new one and closing up Lindbergh... Of course, closing Lindbergh would lead to a removal of the 500' height restriction, so that could be a good thing, but the overall costs would probably be prohibitive.

Aaron (Glowrock)

Yeah, that's why this concept is dead on arrival. Even if you moved the bus depot all of the empty trolley cars and stored and maintained nearby. I imagine it shares many of the mechanics, drivers, and supervisors with those at the bus depot.

Yes, we're in agreement.

The skyline looks taller thanks to the fog:haha:

http://media.signonsandiego.com/img/...dfd5002d4acfe2
courtesy of the U-T

America Plaza looks like it's pushing 900 feet. If only...

Even if it had the height, the skyline still plateaued. Still, height would be awesome.

is there a higher res version of that pic?

what's up everyone?

Did you win?

Nothing, unless you count the founder of Comic-Con dying.

Well, at least it is empty. I am sure this will help with the leasing and sales.

These retards should have stopped when the hole for the parking was finished. They would have only had a $10 million problem. Instead, they marched on through the most obvious shitstorm for downtown residential real estate and turned it into a $300 million white elephant.

World biggest tenament coming up.

Water Damages 41 Floors
By R. STICKNEY
Updated 8:45 AM PST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

Most homeowners have dealt with a water leak from one floor to the next. Imagine that times 41.

A water leak on the 41st floor of the Vantage Pointe Apartments at 9th and A Streets downtown has caused damage throughout the building according to firefighters.

“A lot of water damage,” said Battalion Chief Randy Ballard. “Basically from the 41st floor all the way down there is water damage.”

The fire alarm system was activated Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The leak fried the high rise tower's electrical system and the management company is required to provide personnel as fire watch until the fire system is restored Ballard said.

The tower was not occupied yet but dry wall and carpeting were in place as the building was nearing completion. The mid and low rise tower still have water service according to Ballard.

No one was injured in the incident and there's no word on what cause the sprinklers to activate.

Vantage Pointe is San Diego's largest and arguably most talked about housing projects. The condos started going up at the height of the housing boom and recently the developer refunded deposits to close to 300 buyers.

I did! I'm having breakfast tomorrow morning with the CCAC president to get caught up on the issues. I will be attending the Nov11 meeting but cannot do much until the election has been ratified by the city council first of Dec.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/around-to...-69320477.html

I think it's funny that they ignored MTS and focused on a property owner who doesn't control much of this block.

How does everyone feel about putting the Charger's Stadium in the East Village?

I think it would be awesome to have all those people coming downtown for the games, but am a bit reserved about how the stadium will effect the nieghborhood when there's no event going on. Plus, football stadiums require a lot of parking area. I would hate to have a dead zone in the East Village which will make the Barrio feel even more disconnected from the grid than ever before. Also, what about the cost of moving the MTS mantienance hub?

Keep in mind that a mixed use stadium as you find in many cities now (Dallas Cowboys, OKC Cox Center, etc.) can be used for many other things other than football - i.e. concerts, fairs, festivals, additional sporting events). I hear people state that the stadium would only be full about 8 Sundays per year and that is just wrong.

And regarding parking, there are ways to be creative. The American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas (Mavericks, Stars) is surrounded by mixed use parking garages. The Minneapolis Target Center is also pretty much the same. You drive right off the highway exit into the garage. It's convenient, doesn't take up massive amounts of sprawling space, and can be used for general downtown parking throughout the year.

To my understanding all the stadiums you have mentioned are not football stadiums. And yes, Petco Park does a fabulous job of creating no real dead zones due to their parking (keeping in mind that the tailgate lots are not planned to stay just parking lots), and in fact Petco opens up nicely to the city and and street (J street, K street, Park blvd). If the city does happen to move forward with the downtown football stadium, I hope that its thoroughly integrated within the context (unlike the Q) allowing it to be woven in with day to day activities of the street and neighborhood.

Another couple concerns I have is the article mentioning that they want to move forward quickly with this. I know the need for a new complex is large, but with this scale of a project and considering the impact of the neighborhood I hope they think thoroughly on this and take time to give us an awesome facility (not only awesome to attend a game/concert/ect) but awesome to live nearby and to own a business. That takes a long time to make right.

My other concern is the size of the stadium. 8 downtown blocks (san diego blocks are tiny) is not a lot of room for a world class multi-sports arena. Them considering this site says to me that the city and club is being for shortsighted on their plans for a new complex. It seems as if all they want is a football stadium and that it would be great to hold other events like concert/fairs/expos/ect in there if they can. I would like to see bigger plans for SD. I would love to see a huge multi-use sports complex built to handle summer olympics, FIFA, SuperBowls, and other world wide sporting contests. I know that that's one of the main reasons SD/TJ lost their bid for 2016 (along with the airport problem).

I guess I just can't shake the idea of having an amazing stadium built on the bay with views out to the bay (and in from the bay).

Wind patterns kept Petco from being open to the bay, I wonder how the NFL would deal with the wind. My guess is it would be a rather closed in facility or a North-South facing field to give Kaeding the best chances at making it through the uprights.

No they are not, some are though, I was just using those as examples. For instance, the new Dallas Cowboys stadium is part of a huge masterplanned sporting/entertainment development (which includes the Ballpark in Arlington - Texas Rangers). It's a live, work, dine, play themed area.

I just think the days of building a "coliseum" for one purpose is over. It makes financial sense for any new stadium to serve various purposes for the stadium itself, as well as the surrounding development.

I think the football stadium downtown is an awesome idea. I live in east village and think it would do wonders further east. There is no way that the ballpark area of east village would be this nice, if Petco was never built.

Also, San Diego will never have a Super Bowl until a new stadium is built. Hosting a Super Bowl would generate millions for the city and if the stadium is downtown think of how the harbor would play a role. All the boats and hotels down there would be packed during that time. I know hosting a Super Bowl would be like once every 7 years or so, but as said by others there are many other events that could be held there during the year.

Another attractive reason is that the trolley and the highways and parking are all available right now to support the stadium. Imagine the Chargers stadium on one side and Petco on the other side with the Ballpark Village in between...now that would be something!!!!!

I had a great meeting this morning with the CCAC Chairman and one other CCAC Business Owner Representative. They all seem pretty much in tune with growing a more progressive downtown. I even heard a Jane Jacobs quote. Question: Does it seem that there is a large amount of trash downtown? Like trash is always a problem when there is a large amount of people living in a certain area, but does it seem that this would be a trending topic at a CCAC lunch meeting? I didn't think so, but hey, we're all different with different perspectives.

Looks like the Chairman was interested in putting me on the Preliminary Design Review Sub-Committee, Parking and Transportation Sub-Committee and the East Village Sub-Committee. Excited to get started!

Trash doesn't seem to be that big of an issue downtown (at least compared to other major cities I've been to). Some of the sidewalks could probably use a good scrub, though.

I've never noticed the trash to be that big of an issue. In fact when visitors of mine come into town they comment on how clean everything is. The only concern they have is the large number of homeless individuals hanging out in the streets and public parks.