[Streamliner]

Design of condo building behind El Cortez approved
Philip Nolmar
May 23, 2019
San Diego Union-Tribune
Article Link

A condo tower directly behind the El Cortez building received design approval Wednesday from downtown’s planning agency despite some public opposition.

Critics of the project, including several residents of the El Cortez, argued putting the 12- to 13-story building roughly 20 to 22 feet from the downtown icon would tarnish the building.

Agency board members from Civic San Diego said they were limited to approving the design of the complex, which was received favorably. Also, the project isn’t a done deal yet: It must still be approved at a public hearing of the city’s development services department, and opponents plan to appeal — meaning it will then need approval of the San Diego Planning Commission.

Also interesting at the bottom of the article:

First and Beech: The board approved changes to a 429-unit apartment tower near the intersection of First and Beech streets. The 39-story tower was approved in 2016, but developer Willmark Communities sought to add 65 more apartments and make slight changes to the design. The project’s tower will be 425 feet tall and would be one of the tallest buildings in the Cortez neighborhood. The project would include 15 subsidized apartments for low-income renters, less than required to avoid paying the city’s inclusionary housing fee. The developer will also pay $1.5 million in fees, which could be used to pay for subsidized housing elsewhere. It will likely take nine months to a year before construction starts.

220 W. Broadway: A massive project at 220 W. Broadway to replace the former San Diego County Courthouse was approved by the board. Developer Holland Partner Group, of Vancouver, Wash., plans a 37-story building with 431 apartments (including 87 subsidized units), 270,492 square feet of office space and 18,595 square feet of commercial space. The site is 54,647 square feet and bounded by Broadway, Union, Front and C streets. Sale of the land to Holland may still take several months and construction is expected to take around 4 years.