The development team that was selected by the Navy to redevelop the 70.3-acre NAVWAR facility has released a preliminary project summary to the City and we can now have a glimpse of what they’re planning.
Recall that when the Navy first released its 2021 draft environmental impact statement, it caused quite a roar of pushback because it showed buildings as high as 350 feet. The pushback — the City and Navy called it “a panic” — was substantial enough for the federal agency to put the federal environmental work on hold.
U-T reporter Jennifer von Grove wrote:
Last month, the development team led by San Diego-based Manchester Financial Group and McLean, Virginia-based Edgemoor Infrastructure and Real Estate submitted a preliminary project summary to the city of San Diego. The draft document is a precursor to starting California’s mandated environmental review process, which is expected to begin early next year. San Diego will be the lead agency for the state environmental work.
The document, obtained by the Union-Tribune, details that the mixed-use project calls for:
- 2 million square feet of development for the Navy and
- 18.4 million square feet of private development;
- 8,900 residential units,
- 2.8 million square feet of commercial space,
- two hotels, and
- 281,300 square feet of retail shops and restaurants.
Von Grove adds:
The project draft is silent on building heights, except to note that towers will vary in height, shape and diameter, and that heights will be limited by FAA regulations. However, the Navy’s 2021 environmental work considered towers as high as 350 feet.
She also reported:
The development team is now moving forward with a concept based on the highest intensity alternative analyzed in the Navy’s 2021 draft environmental impact statement, which caused a panic substantial enough for the federal agency to put the federal environmental work on hold.
The latest program elements are not set in stone, the developer said.
“The program will continue to be refined as we better understand the economics and environmental impacts,” the Manchester-Edgemoor spokesperson said.
Von Grove summarizes:
The Manchester-Edgemoor team is now working with the city’s Development Services Department in anticipation of publishing a Notice of Preparation within the first three months of 2025. The release will mark the official start of the environmental review process, as mandated by California’s Environmental Quality Act. The timeline for the environmental review process has not been established, the development team spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the Navy said it will evaluate the team’s project details against the 2021 draft environmental impact statement and update the analysis as needed. The agency said, through a spokesperson, that it will then determine how to move forward with public involvement before finalizing the impact statement.
For more details and background, go here for her article.
They should build to as tall as the FAA will allow. Building more housing is far more important than preserving views of Strip Clubs and Warehouses
If “Robert” and his cohort of craven pseudonym YIMBY trolls were serious about their claim that housing should triumph every other consideration, then they would complain that so little of this 18.4 million square feet of private development will actually be for housing.
Over 17% of this space will be commercial and retail, and who knows how much more the two luxury hotels will take, when there are more than enough of these nearby. If it dedicated all 18.4 million square feet for housing and build only the original 8,900 units, that would be an average of 2,067 square per unit. That would go a long way to meeting the urgent need for family housing. (And as this was originally City of San Diego land that we handed to the Navy for free, and land is the single most expensive factor in housing costs, a large majority of any total housing should be deed-restricted affordable.)
But they won’t, because they’re not serious about actually solving any problems. Instead they want to literally poke people in the eye with blocked views and will excuse every proposed extraction of profit from this project as “necessary.”
The numbers don’t seem to add up. 70.3 acres is 3.1 million SF.
It would take six stories covering 100% of the property to get 18.4 million SF for housing on the 3.1 millions SF property.
Then take away from th3 70.e acres: 1.) the Navy’s portion, 2.) green space, maybe parking, 3.) the fact you can’t build on 100% of the property and provide windows, 4.) 2 hotels, 5.) 2.8 million SF of commercial development.
So, my guess is that the buildings for housing would be less than 50% of the acreage. That would be an average of 12 stories for each housing building.
Damn! I hope you’re wrong.
It is federally owned land so they can basically do whatever they want there. I understand some of the concern over blocked views but wouldn’t even towers look better than the warehouse that is currently there?
No you must understand Joshua, the residents of Mission Hills *must* have their views of Pacers and Les Girls maintained, it’s really super important to them, for sentimental reasons of course.
First there should be more transparency. How much of this housing is for low and very low income and or people homeless that need smaller spaces but also families. What is the coastal height?
Hmm…that’s weird. I was about to comment on some of Robert’s posts but they’re gone now. What happened? Can users delete their previous posts here>
No. They can ask to have a comment of theirs removed.
More myopic madness brought to you by YIMBY shills for big developers and their obscene profits.