2022 Spring Issue - 60

be " the nexus of design and technology, " according
to Garcia.
" Our premise that the social trends indicated that
we needed for San Diego to continue to be competitive
and to be an 18-hour city, we really needed to
have an innovation district downtown, " Garcia says.
" We needed to expand it geographically and also in
terms of the scope, bringing design in it. "
Their goal was that it should be a sustainable
area. The plan ended up with about 7 million square
feet (650,300 sq m) of developable buildings comprising
about 40 percent residential space, 40 percent
office space, and 20 percent retail space in a
walkable, bikeable community that would attract tech
and design companies downtown.
It did not work out as planned.
" We were never successful in getting tech companies
to move downtown, " Garcia concedes. " When
we were able to get some of the tech companies to
move downtown, they were small companies. " These
included startups, but they could never convince a
major anchor tenant like an Apple or a Google or a
Qualcomm to relocate there.
They teamed up with developer Lowe Enterprises
and LaSalle Investments to develop IDEA1, a successful
mixed-use project with 295 market-rate apartments,
about 9,000 square feet (836 sq m) of office
space, and roughly 8,000 square feet (743 sq m) of
retail uses. " We wanted to embody the concept of the
I.D.E.A. District, " Garcia explains.
Other developers are eyeing downtown, too,
including Kilroy Realty, which purchased the land
across the street to build an 840,000-square-foot
(78,000 sq m) tech campus. Life-sciences real estate
investment trust IQHQ is planning to build a $1.5
billion life-sciences and technology campus. A giant
hole currently marks the spot. The San Diego Padres
are developing land in East Village into a 2 millionsquare-foot
(185,800 sq m) mixed-use project. Yet
Garcia points out that no one has announced a
tenant.
Oceanside's Transformation
Changes are coming to the coastal city of Oceanside,
too, which encompasses 42 square miles (109 sq
60
URBAN LAND
SPRING 2022
km). The area, with a population of 175,000 residents,
has its own vibe.
" It's an overnight transformation that took probably
10 years, " says Michelle Geller, economic development
manager for the city of Oceanside. " Oceanside's
year-round great weather, sandy beaches, and
eclectic downtown full of independently operated
restaurants and shops make it a sought-after visitor
destination. It is also a thriving jobs center, a regional
transportation hub, and home to notable employers
in the biotech, action sports, and food/beverage
manufacturing industries. "
Some big projects have recently been developed,
including the 161-room Mission Pacific Hotel and
the 226-room Seabird Resort. Both opened in 2021
and are two of the biggest beachfront projects to be
Los Patios Build
and Hub & Spoke
Communities are
building Los Patios,
a 40-unit residential
project designed by
architect Kate Meairs
at 1776 National
Avenue in the
neighborhood next to
downtown San Diego.
LOS PATIOS BUILD PARTNERS
2022 Spring Issue

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2022 Spring Issue
