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Developers’ Plans for E. Village Square Come Under Fire

Developers’ Plans for E. Village Square Come Under Fire

Construction: Buildings Grow Taller, as Real Estate Market Gets the Blame

BY MANDY JACKSON

Staff Writer

Controversy is swirling again in Downtown San Diego’s ballpark district.

The latest plans for East Village Square appear to include buildings that are taller than residents and developers thought they’d be.

JMI Realty, the real estate company owned by Padres’ owner John Moores, is the master developer responsible for $1 billion of development around the $456 million ballpark.

In East Village Square, San Diego-based Cisterra Partners will develop an office building beyond the ballpark’s center field, and Canadian condominium developer Bosa Development will develop the residential component behind left field. JMI will develop ground floor retail in both buildings.

JMI’s marketing materials from 2001 describe East Village Square as a three-building office, retail and entertainment project on three blocks south of J Street between 7th and 10th avenues. Those drawings include an eight-story, 348,666-square-foot U-shaped office project with retail in the two bottom floors. It wrapped around a 2-acre park behind the ballpark’s outfield.





New plans unveiled to the public at a Nov. 21 public meeting, however, show a 10-story, 200,000-square-foot office building and a 22-story condominium tower, as well as the park.

Developer Doug Wilson (right) built Parkloft on Island Avenue between 8th and 9th avenues, behind the office building site. The $60 million project is an 11-story, 120-unit condominium building. The lofts sell for about $400,000 to more than $1 million.

Wilson expects investment in Parkloft to total $160 million. Planning for the second phase of the project, a larger building on the other side of Island Avenue, is under way.

“There were assumptions upon which people like me made plans,” Wilson said.

When he bought his land, Wilson understood that the office building would be only four to six stories tall.

He is president of the Douglas Wilson Cos., headquartered in San Diego. Wilson has been a longtime supporter of the ballpark, and was the only developer to continue building around the ballpark when construction there was stopped for 16 months by 18 lawsuits.

“You don’t just entice people to develop and then arbitrarily pull the rug out,” Wilson said.

He acknowledged that the real estate market has changed, but said the density in new plans for East Village Square has increased radically.

“It walls off the ballpark,” he said.

John Kratzer, president and CEO of JMI Realty, said the new plan does not wall off the ballpark. In the previous design, the buildings were shorter and wider, with less space between them.

“The buildings are taller, but the grid pattern of the city will be the same with better access to the ballpark. We have a commitment to build around this park. We’ve been responsive to a variety of things,” Kratzer said.

“Everybody knew these were going to be (at least) six- or seven-story buildings.”

When Intracorp San Diego LLC purchased land for condos in the ballpark district, the developer also was under the impression that the office building would be four to six stories tall, according to Intracorp president Keith Fernandez.

Intracorp is planning Diamond Terrace, which will have 114 condos in 14 stories on the northeast corner of Ninth Avenue and J Street.

“We were hopeful with the four- to six-story building planned that we’d have some views. We’re always careful. We never sell views because we know what can happen,” Fernandez said.

Intracorp plans to begin selling its condos in February and begin construction in April.

“It could affect willingness to buy. People are going to want to know what’s across the street,” Fernandez said.

Wilson said, “The impact is worth millions to us, so I take that very seriously.”

The change in plans appears to be affecting sales at Parkloft. The penthouse units overlooking the ballpark haven’t been released for sale yet, and won’t be until the plans in front of Wilson’s project are clear.

Parkloft’s buyers were not guaranteed views, according to Wilson. Buyers were told to go to the Centre City Development Corp., San Diego’s planning and redevelopment agency for Downtown, and check out what kind of development was planned next door.

“There is significant direct economic impact to me. But, there is more impact to the city because of the message it sends to developers,” Wilson said.

His objections are not just about his interest in the ballpark district, but are about making sure development of buildings surrounding the ballpark is in the city’s best interest, he said.

“The reaction is to jump and say the buildings are too big. As far as we’re concerned, those are just proposals,” said Peter Hall, CCDC president and chief operating officer.

“We do not as a matter of policy or public law protect private views,” Hall added.

JMI, Cisterra and Bosa have the same rights to build a tall building as Doug Wilson, Hall said.

Kratzer said there is a lot of misinformation floating around, especially about the Park at the Park.

“The park is going to be every bit as good as what people have perceived,” Kratzer said. “It’s in our best interest to have great views into the ballpark.”

Hall said the first step in approving plans for the East Village is to gather more community input. At least two more public meetings are planned. The next public meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Dec. 16 in the Silver Room at the San Diego Concourse at 202 C St.

“We’re working on a master plan for land use with JMI, the Padres and (San Diego-based architecture firm) Carrier Johnson,” Hall said. “Right now we’re trying to take a much more considered effort on this process, which will take at least a few months to get through.”

The City Council will likely consider the new plans some time in the first half of 2003.

Leslie Wade, a spokeswoman for the East Village Association, said its business owners and residents have not taken a position on the changes to East Village Square. The association is waiting for more detailed information about the new plans.

“We will be discussing it over the next week pretty aggressively,” Wade said.

The association is not concerned about increased density but wants to make sure the buildings are appropriate for the neighborhood in terms of scale and character, and still fit in with the warehouse look and feel of the East Village, she said.

JMI thinks the character of the new plans will fit in.

“During four years of delays, the company has never wavered from this commitment and is not about to waver from it now,” Kratzer said.

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