SAN DIEGO | Boom Rundown, Vol. 2

[Andy-4-SD]

Originally Posted by sandiego_urban

In addition to the Gaylord Project, it looks like the CV waterfront is finally starting to take off. I don't have full access to the article below, but it mentions construction of Amara Bay by Pacifica Cos. will be starting in the coming months.

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https://www.costar.com/article/18760...sta-waterfront

Projects set to begin construction in coming months on the 550-acre Chula Vista waterfront site include Pacifica Companies' Amara Bay, with up to 1,500 residential condos, a hotel, offices and retail. (Pacifica Companies)
By Lou Hirsh
CoStar News

March 27, 2021 | 6:42 AM
The first pieces of a long-sought, multiphase development of the Chula Vista, California, waterfront are falling into place, with an RV resort park opening next month and a 1,500-unit condominium complex set to break ground early next year on one of the state’s last large swaths of coastal land still available for new projects.

“The community of Chula Vista actually really wants to see something done there,” said Ryley Webb, land development manager for San Diego-based developer Pacifica Companies, during an online conference hosted by the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate on March 25.

The condo units are part of Pacifica Companies’ mixed-use Amara Bay project, which is also planned to include a 250-room hotel and 420,000 square feet of office and retail. Developers see the 35-acre project as a way to contribute relatively affordable new housing to the South Bay area and deal with a longtime housing shortage in San Diego County.

Amara Bay has so far avoided the backlash from neighboring residents and environmentalists that met other high-density projects put forward in the county in recent years by other residential developers.

Webb said this is partly because Chula Vista residents have long been looking for new development to replace older waterfront buildings that served as electric generation plants and aircraft production facilities, but subsequently were demolished after going unused for decades.

“They want that bayfront to be something special, so if anything, we actually got community assistance in getting these projects moved forward,” Webb said of the Chula Vista response to Amara Bay.

He added that Pacifica is considering renegotiating its development agreement with the city and port district to eventually include rental apartments at Amara Bay, which is expected to be completed over the next three years.

Developers said construction is also expected to move forward in 2022 on the 550-acre waterfront’s planned centerpiece feature, a $1.1 billion Gaylord resort and conference center being planned by Houston-based RIDA Development. Over the next decade, several developers are looking to put new hotels, restaurants, offices and housing on one of the state’s largest pieces of coastal land still available for development.

For more than two decades, planners with the city of Chula Vista and regional Port of San Diego have been looking to introduce commercial, civic and recreational elements to the waterfront.

City and port officials last month finalized arrangements for the public financing portion of the Gaylord hotel project, which was approved in 2018 and includes a 1,600-room hotel and 275,000 square feet of convention space, slated for completion in 2025 on a 36.5-acre site.

Port officials said the $328 million public tab comes with future revenue sharing with the developer. It would be financed through a combination of revenue bonds and a 5.5% tax on hotel room bills.

Elsewhere on the waterfront site, developer Sun Communities has an April 1 opening planned for Costa Vista RV Resort Park, a $55 million project that includes 225 recreational-vehicle spaces, an on-site pool, entertainment arcade and business center. Local officials said the RV park is the first new commercial project completed on the Chula Vista waterfront in nearly 40 years.

[aekrid]

Crane is up on 220 W Broadway.

[Streamliner]

A court ruling just came out allowing the height limits to be extended from 45 feet to 65 feet in the area surrounding the Morena Boulevard Trolley stop and an increase to 100 feet near the (currently u/c) Tecolote Trolley stop.

[unpermitted_variance]

Originally Posted by Streamliner

A court ruling just came out allowing the height limits to be extended from 45 feet to 65 feet in the area surrounding the Morena Boulevard Trolley stop and an increase to 100 feet near the (currently u/c) Tecolote Trolley stop.

Here's the U-T article: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...line?_amp=true


This is excellent news; in its current state, the trolley stations along Morena Boulevard have fairly abysmal population within their walksheds. The NIMBYs will hate this but it will be great to see some serious density start to happen along the Morena corridor.

[mello]

I'm confused is this the height limit being raised along the entire Morena corridor to Clairemont Dr? Or just around the Morena and Tecolote stops? This area could add quite a bit of density if it was lined with 50 to 65 foot residential along the entire strip.

[unpermitted_variance]

Originally Posted by mello

I'm confused is this the height limit being raised along the entire Morena corridor to Clairemont Dr? Or just around the Morena and Tecolote stops? This area could add quite a bit of density if it was lined with 50 to 65 foot residential along the entire strip.

I believe this affects the areas within the Balboa Station Specific Plan and Morena Corridor Specific Plan.

Here are the proposed land use maps for each showing the boundaries of the plan areas:

Morena Corridor Specific Plan



Balboa Station Area Specific Plan



It upzones the strip along Morena, but leaves most of the single-family land untouched. Could have added a lot more density, but this is probably what was politically feasible. The NIMBYism in that area is surprisingly strong for what seems to be a pretty marginal neighborhood.

Someone more knowledgeable of SD planning could correct me if I'm wrong on any of this of course; the article is pretty vague about what exactly this court ruling affects.

[Streamliner]

Originally Posted by unpermitted_variance

I believe this affects the areas within the Balboa Station Specific Plan and Morena Corridor Specific Plan.

Here are the proposed land use maps for each showing the boundaries of the plan areas:

It upzones the strip along Morena, but leaves most of the single-family land untouched. Could have added a lot more density, but this is probably what was politically feasible. The NIMBYism in that area is surprisingly strong for what seems to be a pretty marginal neighborhood.

Someone more knowledgeable of SD planning could correct me if I'm wrong on any of this of course; the article is pretty vague about what exactly this court ruling affects.

I think you're right about the Morena Community Plan Update. I think there was litigation trying to hold that up, but that's what just got cleared (Tecolote Station/Morena Station are within that plan area). I don't think there were issues with the Balboa Station Specific Plan though.

[unpermitted_variance]

Originally Posted by Streamliner

I think you're right about the Morena Community Plan Update. I think there was litigation trying to hold that up, but that's what just got cleared (Tecolote Station/Morena Station are within that plan area). I don't think there were issues with the Balboa Station Specific Plan though.

From the U-T article:

A legal effort to block a separate new growth blueprint for neighborhoods farther north on the new trolley line also was unsuccessful.

That lawsuit, filed by Friends of Rose Creek, was about a plan to allow projects with significantly greater numbers of housing units per acre in northeastern Pacific Beach. It also was dismissed.


It was a challenge to the city’s Balboa Avenue Station Area Specific Plan. The lawsuit filed by Morena United was a challenge to the Morena Corridor Specific Plan.

...

The plan affecting northeastern Pacific Beach covers 210 acres and aims to transform the area from an auto-oriented commercial corridor into a dense residential village surrounding the new trolley station.

It increases the number of housing units allowed in the area from 1,221 to 4,729. That’s a near quadrupling of what current zoning allows, and six times the 763 housing units already there.

[unpermitted_variance]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...moving-forward

The SPAWAR "Grand Central Station" plan is moving forward. Not sure about the buildings/heights involved (still very early in the process) but the transit implications are interesting. It's a huge amount of money to spend on a shiny project that will not go very far to fix the city's car dependency (although what will?) However, the enhanced airport connection is a very good idea, albeit imperfect considering it still requires a transfer from any other transit route.

This could also mean that the current Old Town station site and its parking lots could be redeveloped in the future, as well as many adjacent parcels that had their coastal height limits recently removed. Could be interesting to keep an eye on, but I'm wary of Hasan Ikhrata's big promises on this one.

[SDfan]

Was just downtown, and fencing is up at 800 Broadway. They got a demo tractor there too.

Property details: https://www.loopnet.com/listing/800-...go-ca/9925012/

[colemonkee]

^ It's like a mini Aqua. Not too shabby!

[HurricaneHugo]

Horton Plaza is nothing but bones now

This is where the 24 hour fitness waas

[SamFlood]

Demo started on Broadway Navy building







photos courtesy https://coolsandiegosights.com/

[mello]

Nice with 800 Broadway finally moving forward we will have a nice cluster, forming a square actually, of height in the Eastern Core. Bosa Block, Symphony towers and Vantage Pointe!! Kind of becoming our own little version of Bunker Hill in DTLA. Who is the developer on this one again?

Fingers crossed waiting on announcement of 7th/Market!!🤞

[Will O' Wisp]

Originally Posted by SamFlood

Damn, look at those outside walls and floors. That's gotta be 2-3 solid feet of reinforced concrete.

This AMG demo crew is certainly earning their pay.

[dl3000]

Originally Posted by Will O' Wisp

Damn, look at those outside walls and floors. That's gotta be 2-3 solid feet of reinforced concrete.

This AMG demo crew is certainly earning their pay.

They must be making serious money because they also are demoing the Midway Post Office, which is another concrete fortress. I hope they can recycle all that aggregate and steel.

[HurricaneHugo]

Plan would transform car-centric El Cajon Blvd into pedestrian-friendly area

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...-friendly-area

[mello]

I saw two new projects breaking ground while driving between the 805 and Park Blvd yesterday. One where the old Poker Room just west of the Water Tower was torn down, it has digging equipment on site. Another a bit west of Texas St is an obvious active construction site beginning a project.

At Ohio St (or Illinois always get the two confused) there has been a lot cleared now for 4 to 5 months that had outdated structures on it so I'm assuming construction will be beginning soon.

Still waiting for all those crappy used car dealerships East of the 805 on EC to start being replaced with infill, frankly I'm surprised no projects have gone in on that stretch only a self storage facility.

[TimeToBuild]

http://https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/growth-development/story/2021-04-27/bullet-dodged-350m-california-theatre-project-on-track-to-replace-decaying-building-with-condos-hotel

FINALLY!

[SDCAL]

Originally Posted by mello

Fingers crossed waiting on announcement of 7th/Market!!🤞

I have been waiting for an announcement from them for 6 years.

Is there supposed to be one coming ??