SAN DIEGO | Boom Rundown, Vol. 2

[mello]

They have been working on this Horton project for a long time now. When is it finally supposed to open. For example the RADD Labs project is almost finished and that started way after Horton. It's supposed to have a bunch of restaurants which downtown is already oversaturated with. I really hope some office workers fill up the space. I'm really excited for 2 40 floor towers there. Will be an awesome addition to skyline.

Has anyone heard what is up with the Ball Park Storage development? We were anticipating that would have broken ground by now.

[Jhanson312]

Originally Posted by mello

They have been working on this Horton project for a long time now. When is it finally supposed to open. For example the RADD Labs project is almost finished and that started way after Horton. It's supposed to have a bunch of restaurants which downtown is already oversaturated with. I really hope some office workers fill up the space. I'm really excited for 2 40 floor towers there. Will be an awesome addition to skyline.

Has anyone heard what is up with the Ball Park Storage development? We were anticipating that would have broken ground by now.

I heard it’s slated to open next summer but that’s if they have 60% retail and 10% office space leased out. I think it will be, as they already a number of tenants signed.

[Jhanson312]

Chula Vista Gaylord Pacific Resort coming along well. Does anyone have information on the residential towers coming to the Chula Vista bayfront?

[SDfan]

^^^ Damn I need to take a drive down there and check it out. That's exciting to see!

And no idea about the rest of the bay front's development. I remember there being some proposals years ago from the controlling entity, Pacifica, but no concrete news since then. Here is a link to the residential component from Pacifica's architects: http://super3studio.us/amara-bay/

Also, Merry Christmas, everyone! Looking forward to new development news next year

[SamFlood]

A few photos of Downtown projects

[Streamliner]

Mostly vacant office complex in downtown San Diego will be converted into hotel and residential buildings

BY JENNIFER VAN GROVE
JAN. 3, 2024 10:35 AM PT
Link to Article

The recently renovated Tower 180 office complex at 180 Broadway Ave. has a new owner that plans to spend $140 million to convert the downtown San Diego property into a hotel and residential property, while maintaining the existing ground-floor shops.

Last month, San Diego-based hotel developer J Street Space purchased the 386,000 square-foot office property, which includes a 25-story skyscraper and a contiguous eight-story annex, as well as a parking garage. The developer bought the complex, under the entity T180 SD Owner LLC, from Hammer Ventures for $61 million, property record records show.

Tower 180’s change in use is a marked departure for a complex that just a few years ago was completely refashioned with an all-new, distinctive glass facade and interior upgrades meant to give the 61-year-old facility fresh appeal to modern office tenants.

“I think at this point, it’s a one-off (office conversion). It’s hard to say if it’s going to create a trend,” Ohl said. “I think (there is) going to be a piecemeal approach to the individual properties that might be targeted for such conversion opportunities, simply because some properties are not going to be able to financially pencil out.”

[Streamliner]

Navy chooses local team to redevelop NAVWAR property

BY JENNIFER VAN GROVE
JAN. 9, 2024 6 AM PT

Link to article

Manchester/Edgemoor selection concludes long, tightly controlled real estate competition for 70-acre Midway area

The United States Navy has selected a development team led by San Diego-based Manchester Financial Group and McLean, Virgina-based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate to replace its obsolete NAVWAR facilities and remake the rest of the 70.3-acre military campus in San Diego’s Midway District with private development.

The selection brings to an end a more than year-long, tightly controlled competition for the expansive property, which consists of two large parcels straddling Pacific Highway.

Owned by the Navy since the mid-1990s, the Naval Base Point Loma, Old Town Complex — commonly known as NAVWAR — is home to the military’s Naval Information Warfare Systems Command and Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific divisions. The groups represent a mix of 5,000 full-time and contract cybersecurity professionals who currently work in World War II-era hangars that are said to be past their useful life.

The environmental report, required by the National Environmental Policy Act, has been on a hiatus pending the outcome of the solicitation process. It considered up to 19.6 million square feet of total development with as many as 10,000 residential units, two hotels and millions of square feet of commercial and retail space spread across 109 buildings, with towers stretching as high as 350 feet. The lowest-density alternative studied in the report includes 4,400 residential units, one hotel and 106 total buildings, some up to 240 feet high.

[SDCAL]

Manchester’s record of uninspired, outdated designs, sitting on things for years, and abandoning projects doesn’t make me too optimistic I’ll see anything good there in my lifetime.

[ht-freak]

There's a Youtube video about the Amara Bay project. I've driven by there. They've starting grading the dirt.

[dl3000]

Originally Posted by SDCAL

Manchester’s record of uninspired, outdated designs, sitting on things for years, and abandoning projects doesn’t make me too optimistic I’ll see anything good there in my lifetime.

ditto

[Streamliner]

A new six-story building is proposed in downtown San Diego to house one man

BY PHILLIP MOLNAR
JAN. 19, 2024 1:40 PM PT

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...town-san-diego

Masri’s plan calls for roughly 750 square feet of retail space on the first floor and five stories for himself a few blocks from Seaport Village. The plan is now being reviewed by the city for a coastal development permit, and has made its way through most approvals over a roughly two-year process.

It’s possible someone could appeal the project, which would send the proposal to the Planning Commission. But Masri’s planned building doesn’t violate any downtown building codes.

Designs call for 1,149-square-feet floors, complete with a bathroom, elevator and staircase. There will also be a 870-square-foot roof deck, which Masri said he would like to turn into some sort of green roof. The ground, fifth and sixth floors will have 14-foot ceilings. The middle floors will have 9-foot ceilings.

Plans leave space for a billboard on the side facing Harbor Drive, which could be in demand during Comic-Con International, given its proximity to the Convention Center.

It’s unclear if the property would ever be split into residences because the city has strict rules on the number of stair exits. The current design only has one staircase, which is fine for a single residence, but there would need to be a second set if floors were split into multiple residences. Given the size of the lot, Masri said adding the extra staircase would make the building “useless and full of stairs.”

This is kind of a funny headline, but it actually brings up an interesting point about single-staircase laws. This is a hot topic in planning/housing advocate circles. Small lots like this are underutilized because of (some say) outdated safety regulations regarding the number of staircases allowed for multi-story/multi-unit buildings. We are forced to design expensive, oversized developments because smaller lots can't afford to use space on multiple staircases.

[Derek]

Somewhat related…

What’s up with that 2 story gated house (?) that’s located directly next door to this site at 619 Kettner? Is that a residence? Does someone live there? I’ve wondered what it was ever since I was a kid. Google Maps says it’s “Essel Enterprises” which appears to be some kind of consultation service? Google search doesn’t return many results.

[HurricaneHugo]

Well that was quite the storm...

Anyways, has anybody looked at the 2025 Regional Plan?

[aekrid]

The Lindley
Up to the 33rd Floor only 4 more floors to go.


The Torrey (Front and A)
Project has a name now. Podium under construction.


1st & Beech
Crane is up on site now that was fast.

[Jhanson312]

40-Story Residential High Rise Set to be Built on Site of Storage Building Near Ballpark
Times of San Diego
02-08-24

“ A 40-story residential development near Petco Park is set to break ground in early 2025, bringing nearly 450 homes to downtown San Diego.”

“We acknowledge that San Diego has long been a car-dependent city, but we are confident the mindset will change as downtown continues to urbanize.” -Cresleigh Homes


https://timesofsandiego.com/business...near-ballpark/

[mello]

Early 2025 for groundbreaking of Ball Park storage? Um I hope that is a typo. This development has been approved for what a year and a half now? I hope it is more like early 2024 to this summer ground breaking. By early 2025 there could be major economic problems with the commercial real estate and banking sectors.

A tall building in that spot will somewhat make up for the absence of 7th and Market for skyline affect. I am still so mad that the Ritz never materialized such a blow to skyline potential and urban impact on that part of DT.

Does anyone find it strange that downtown LA had so many towers built by Chinese money and SD got zero? You would have thought they would look 100 miles south and say oh here is another booming urban zone that is open to highrise development. San Diego must be on their radar with so many of the elites children going to UCSD lol

[Streamliner]

Originally Posted by mello

Does anyone find it strange that downtown LA had so many towers built by Chinese money and SD got zero? You would have thought they would look 100 miles south and say oh here is another booming urban zone that is open to highrise development. San Diego must be on their radar with so many of the elites children going to UCSD lol

Aren't those abandoned tagged towers in downtown LA vacant because of dried up Chinese money? I suppose they made a mark on the skyline at least.

[futuresooner]

They can just buy a condo at Coronado Shores and overlook WARCOM & the BUD/S kids in the sand.

[negentropic behavior]

Signs of life at 13th and Broadway (14 story residential project designed by JWDA

https://jwdainc.com/civic-san-diego-...13th-broadway/

Heavy machinery on site is drilling around the perimeter for shoring. Glad to see some activity around this area-- so many vacant blocks just sitting empty since they demolished the Salvation Army Rehab Center, and their Thrift Store, not to mention the big hole in the ground across the street from 1080 Park Blvd.

[SDCAL]

Originally Posted by mello

Early 2025 for groundbreaking of Ball Park storage? Um I hope that is a typo. This development has been approved for what a year and a half now? I hope it is more like early 2024 to this summer ground breaking. By early 2025 there could be major economic problems with the commercial real estate and banking sectors.

A tall building in that spot will somewhat make up for the absence of 7th and Market for skyline affect. I am still so mad that the Ritz never materialized such a blow to skyline potential and urban impact on that part of DT.

Early 2025 seems about right, it’s already 2 months into 2024 and the storage facility is still in operation. They need to give people a period of time to vacate. Not sure if people have already been notified or not? That site will need a LOT of work. I used to have a storage unit there, and that building is disgusting. There’s human/rodent urine soaked through and the place has a musty odor which is why I left. Items I stored there had a stench even months after I took them out of storage. Also, when I went to my storage unit, I saw people actually living in storage units there. I’m guessing they will gut it and keep the facade?

Not sure if that project will make-up for the ritz not moving forward, that was a HUGE blow and I feel like East Village continues to deteriorate. Also, the target not moving forward was another big blow.

There is an article in the Union Tribune about a Whole Foods store going into this development at A and Front street (I don’t subscribe so can’t post the full article):

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...town-san-diego

Seems like Little Italy area is where a lot of investment is happening, I’m worried retail developers have given-up on East Village.