by Brooke Clifford / Coronado Eagle & Journal / Nov 6, 2025
In a recent closed session meeting the Port of San Diego Board of Directors rejected Port Coronado Associates, LLC’s proposal to renew their lease of the Coronado Ferry Landing beyond June 30, 2026. The decision also impacts the potential plans to renovate the Ferry Landing that were included as a part of the renewal proposal which Port Coronado Associates (PCA) have spent several years developing design for with input from the community.
PCA has operated the Ferry Landing for nearly 40 years, having initially entered into an agreement with Port and taken on a development project for modernizing the complex in the 1980s.
According to the press release from the Port of San Diego on their decision, the Port is currently pursuing a possible short-term lease extension with PCA for transitional purposes. They have also said that the Ferry Landing will remain open and that businesses will have the opportunity to continue to operate beyond the June 30, 2026 lease expiration date, and that the Port will be communicating further with those subtenants about the situation.
In a letter PCA has stated their disappointment with the decision and brought up concerns around the process that led to the Port’s decision. “Port Coronado Associates (PCA), the longtime leaseholder and operator of the Coronado Ferry Landing, is devastated by recent Port actions that will derail a much-needed redevelopment plan,” the letter states. “PCA also believes the Port ignored its own policy — Board Policy 355 — which allows tenants a fair process to obtain lease term extensions. BPC 355 states that the Port should negotiate with tenants in good standing that are willing to make investments consistent with the future vision for the property.”
PCA’s Vice President of Development and Operations, Christian Herrera, also brought up PCA’s view on their process they undertook for the redevelopment plan stating that they listened to the community’s input to create the design, which was supported by the City of Coronado.
The Port also addressed the redevelopment in their press release, stating, “Port staff understand the City of Coronado and the community’s vision of an improved center that retains its existing charm. While the Port has made no decision about the leasehold after the expiration of PCA’s lease, Port staff is exploring short-, mid-, and long-term options to ensure future success of the center for future Board consideration. … It remains the Port’s goal to ensure the retail center is a vibrant and prosperous waterfront destination for residents, visitors and the businesses that operate in it for years to come.”
While Coronado’s Port Commissioner Frank Urtasun cannot publically share any details regarding the closed session meeting where the decision was made, he has shared his own opinions regarding the outcome. “To me this isn’t about PCA, this is about the Port. For four years I’ve been trying to get this deal done like I did with the restaurant pad [at the Ferry Landing], which is a separate lease. PCA called me from time to time to share what they’re proposing. I would circle back with [Port] staff and for four years they would tell me, ‘We’re analyzing this.’”
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From the Union Trib article 11/07-
A timeline of events, provided by the port, shows the parties exchanged documents such as financial models, facility assessments, proposal revisions and term sheets over the three-year period. The seven-member Board of Port Commissioners discussed the proposed real estate transaction in closed session three times.
The agency never publicly hinted of problems, although the lengthy negotiation period likely raised red flags.
Three meetings in three years. ‘Nuff said.