Times of San Diego Staff / August 20, 2026
Changes are coming to the heart of Pacific Beach.
Less than a month after the sale of the former IHOP at Grand and Mission Avenues, and word that the location would likely be transformed into a mixed-use development, a new proposal has surfaced to demolish three small commercial buildings and a residence-turned-business next door to the former IHOP to build a three-story, 11,231-square-foot housing project with a total of 17 units, two of which are designated as affordable. If approved, as is proposed, the project will include a three-space carport on the bottom floor.
On Aug. 7, Golba Architecture submitted plans to turn the properties at 866 to 872 Grand on behalf of the developer.
Architect Tim Golba told Times of San Diego that the three small commercial buildings and the adjacent former residence appear to have been intended for housing and will not return to that use.
As for the neighboring IHOP building, Golba said no final plans have been made. “There is nothing definitive that is designed yet, and it will be some time before any design direction is finalized,” wrote Golba in an email.
The eventual transformation is among the many new housing projects under consideration in Pacific Beach, a needed trend, say some Pacific Beach residents.
Marcella Bothwell, chair of the Pacific Beach Planning Group, considers projects that replace struggling storefronts with residential units whose tenants can help boost local businesses as a win-win for the community.
“We are seeing a growing number of multi-family infill projects in Pacific Beach ,and I am generally very supportive of them, especially when they respect the Coastal Height Limit and include on-site affordable units,” Bothwell said.
“Pacific Beach benefits from additional residential units when they are developed thoughtfully and in the right locations. Commercial zones such as this one already allow mixed-use by right. The 870 Grand site currently holds three vacant, undersized commercial spaces that are emblematic of struggling storefronts in the neighborhood. Projects that add residents along an existing transit corridor on a highly walkable site have the potential to strengthen, rather than compete with, the commercial fabric already in place,” said Bothwell.
A city hearing officer is expected to decide on the proposal at 866-872 Grand in the coming weeks.
total of 17 units, two of which are designated as affordable. If approved, as is proposed, the project will include a three-space carport on the bottom floor. ___________ REALLY?????
And WHERE will the other tenants park????
ON the BEACH???????????
In WHO’s IMAGINATION IS THIS A GOOD THING???????????