Why couldn't he jump in before the Chargers bolted? :(

I agree with many of your points, but I think it's important to keep an open-mind until we have more substantial information on the two proposals (three, if you include JMI's to expand SDSU). Personally I think Manchester is a jackass. However, he does have more experience with large projects in the city. That being said, he needs to deliver more than just a letter to the NFL, and quickly, since FS Investors reportedly has a lot of support from the city council already.

The Chargers are gone, that's done. NOt sure why his letter references them. The Raiders is a long-shot at best, as the situation in Vegas sounds like they still won't have much of a problem with the money, though Adelson has huge sway so who knows what's going on behind the scenes that might scare away alternative investors.

They should go forward with the soccer stadium, and leave the space for the NFL stadium as planned. DO the deal with the land and city so that everything is in place; all zoning, EICs, etc, so that if a team is ready to move here, a stadium can begin immediate construction. No way a stadium will begin construction without any binding agreement from a team to move. If it isn't the Raiders, the next best chance is getting the Jaguars to move, and that could be several years off. And the NFL might be feeling the sting of this whole 3-teams-moving-in-2-years fiasco and not want to move another team (except to Mexico City or London of course).

totally agree :)

totally agree :)

I never thought his Navy Broadway Complex/Pacific Gateway did justice to that prime waterfront spot, but by this point I just want the damn thing to break ground already. With the Bosa tower and Lane Field well under way, that spot with the crumbling navy buildings is going to be the one big eyesore along the waterfront!

It's going to be? It has been for decades! :P

You're right. :D What I meant to convey was that it used to be an overall nondescript, junky area but with the Bosa tower, Lane Field and the embarcadero that site really stands out now more than before as needing to be redeveloped. The Bosa tower is going to be SD's most expensive condo complex with units going for >1 million dollars. I've heard they are over 1/2 sold, but I would think that before someone spends that kind of money on a condo they would want the immediate surrounding area to have upscale amenities and not be a big void of crumbling crap.

I love Manchester's design for the Navy Broadway Complex site. Art Deco doesn't really have a big presence here like they do in LA and NY and I think that project would be great, especially on the waterfront. Definitely better than another glass box.

Anybody know more about this? I heard the Navy bldg. will be the first to go up to allow the old complex to move/be torn down. Manchester himself said he was "breaking ground" in his recent MLS letter/bid to San Diego for the Q site.

Letter: http://www.kusi.com/story/34504963/s...-qualcomm-site

The only activity I can find are discussions between Manchester and CivicSD to make improvements to Pacific Highway. (I would link but CivicSD site seems to be broken at the moment.)

This totally makes sense and just shows that Dean wasn't really working to stay in San Diego. All one would have to do is use the land around the stadium to develop with housing and commercial for extra money to privately finance a stadium; much like what Stockbridge and Kronke are doing with the Rams and area in Inglewood. I hope the chargers go back to San Diego where they belong and where their fans are.

That would be great, and its not like Spanos isn't a developer who could see the possibilities around that site.

I agree 100%. The more I look at it the more I like it. I want variety in my city.


Is this project in the clear now with a start date?

Oh I don't know. No one is accusing the Spanos family of being smart in their sports team choices or business decisions over the years.

Rendering of the river park proposed by FS Investors. A news conference with more details of their plans for the site is happening now.

http://media.10news.com/photo/2017/0....0_640_480.jpg
http://www.10news.com/news/group-hea...mission-valley

SoccerCity plan: 4,800 homes, 2 stadiums, parks and commercial space at Q site
By Roger Showley

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/...217-story.html

Love it! Leave it to a real developer like Manchester to come up with a solid plan as opposed to the years of false starts by Spanos.

SDSU aren't happy.....if they want to go it alone I'd love to know how they are going to finance a top 25 multi use calibre stadium. Who is paying for it, who are the other tenants who are going to give them their money's worth? College soccer and lacrosse, aren't going to. Maybe it's just a bargaining chip.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5IzrX8VUAAH_n3.jpg:large

Nice design, obviously very preliminary. I kind of agree with the assessment of SDSU regarding expandability of the soccer/football complex, they need to explain a little better how/where they can add an additional 8,000 seats. They have designed an open end to the stadium, but that open end faces retail space immediately across from it, which is where you'd assume expansion of seating would take place. Looks like they'd need to reorient the stadium so the open end is facing the play fields/VIP parking on the north side instead, so you have that open space to add additional bleachers to fully-enclose the space. Unless they plan to be able to add another deck of seating on top of the proposed seating, I'm not sure where the "expansion" could happen, and I'm sure SDSU wants that clarified.

Couple questions I had that I didnt see answered in the articles. Why is a citizens initiative needed if there's no tax money paying for it? There doesn't look to be any parking, if the NFL stadium happens (doubtful) how would the parking issue be handled?

This development feels less and less about soccer and more of a landgrab.
I don't care either way but i'm sure the lawsuits will start if this is greenlighted.