The City of San Diego is scouting prospects to revitalize some of its prime public real estate. A stone's throw from the Pacific, Mission Bay Park's Marina Village, Sportsmen's Seafood, and Dana Landing are up for potential redevelopment, the city eyeing a chance to optimize these idyllic yet currently underperforming plots truly. Various tenants claim these spaces: retail outlets, conference spaces, restaurants, and boat marinas, some of which have been static since disco was groovy.
An undertaking of this nature is nuanced, to say the least. Today, the City Council will consider these three properties totaling approximately 28 acres as "surplus land," a statutory step mandated by the California Surplus Land Act. The dance to reimagine these sites as dynamic public enjoyment hubs is in its first twirl. "These city-owned properties are hidden gems in Mission Bay that have not reached their full potential," said Mayor Todd Gloria in a statement obtained by Inside San Diego. "We want to make sure they serve the public in the best possible way, and today’s action before the City Council is the first step to see what opportunities exist to redevelop and activate these properties into something San Diegans can be proud of."
The City's pressing need for housing and emphasis on affordability hit a snag with these particular parcels. These sites are laced with policy red tape—the Mission Bay Park Master Plan and the Parks Master Plan broker no compromises for residential development in these sections. This zoning zaibatsu makes flipping these spots into affordable housing developments a qualification worthy of an Olympic gymnast.
Marina Village has been a public park since 1962, and its lease is on a stopwatch set to run out in April 2027. The other two areas are currently under expired leases, functioning in a holdover status. Post-City Council vote, the master plan is to put out a beacon for developers with the issuance of a notice of availability for these sites. If developers line up to take a crack at shaping the future of these scenic locales, the City will sort through submissions and float the most promising proposals to the City Council for debate.
