NAVWAR Redevelopment on Track, Navy Says

San Diego’s Fox5 has provided the rest of us with an update of the Navy’s ambitious effort to revitalize the 70.3-acre Old Town campus with the redevelopment of the NAVWAR facilities.

Why, it was just Monday, July 29, that Navy officials reported the environmental review process was proceeding alongside the exclusive negotiation period for a long-term lease with the potential master development group military officials selected to lead the renovation, Manchester/Edgemoor.

Manchester / Edgemoor consists of two firms — Manchester Financial, a hotel and commercial development firm, and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate, an affiliate of Clark Construction that specializes in public-private partnerships. Fox5 says “both will evenly split the ownership stake.”

This deal is the largest leasing initiative in the US Navy’s history and the 2 firms would receive the land in exchange for new, state-of-the-art NAVWAR facilities.

Rear Admiral Brad Rosen, Commander of Navy Region Southwest, said in a statement:

“The Navy’s enduring partnerships with the City of San Diego and surrounding communities are essential to this successful initiative moving forward. While the Navy’s goal is new mission-capable facilities for NAVWAR and other tenant commands, the Navy recognizes that any project that is good for the Navy should also provide positive impacts to the community.”

What’s good for the Navy, is good for San Diego. Where have we heard that before?

The Navy claims NAVWAR is a significant contributor to the city’s economy, with an annual budget in excess of $11 billion. Fox5: “According to naval officials, the command’s work adds $3.3 billion annually to the region, and provides half of all cybersecurity jobs in the region.”

Details about what will become of the remainder of the land is still up in the air, although the Manchester/Edgemoor has described their vision for the area as a “mini city” with housing, retail and commercial space that also connects to nearby transit.

According to officials involved in the NAVWAR project, the Manchester/Edgemoor group has initiated outreach and engagement efforts with local government officials, transportation agencies and other interests to “better understand their priorities.”

Public comment opportunities will also be scheduled for soon-to-be-announced dates, naval officials added.

Neal Fleming, president of Edgemoor, statedL

“This project represents a generational opportunity for the Navy and City of San Diego, and we intend to make sure the community is involved in each step along the way.”

It’s good for the community to hear these words, lest we forget the horrible projections of the redevelopment when the Navy first rolled the project out.