San Diego’s largest apartment complex in Pacific Beach is gearing up for another growth spurt, with plans to add 138 units and bring the total to roughly 702 apartments. The City Council signed off Tuesday on the needed land use changes, clearing the way to turn some of the complex’s surface parking into new homes and outdoor amenities, although the project still must get final review from the California Coastal Commission.
Council Signs Off Locally
The council voted unanimously to approve the amendments that clear a major local hurdle for the AVA Pacific Beach project, according to the The San Diego Union-Tribune. Council members emphasized that the proposal reuses an already developed site and keeps the buildings under the 30-foot coastal height limit. The plan had already cleared neighborhood review and the Planning Commission before reaching the full council.
Scope And Zoning Changes
City meeting materials show the larger property spans about 12.96 acres, and that roughly 4.35 acres of the site would be redeveloped. That work includes a rezone from RM-3-7 to RM-3-8 and a Coastal Development Permit as part of the package, according to the City of San Diego. The amendment would redesignate parts of the Pacific Beach community plan to allow higher residential density on the already built parcel. City staff framed the move as infill redevelopment rather than a push onto new land.
EIR Details And Technical Review
Environmental documents filed with the state spell out the 138 unit addition, two new parking structures and a stack of technical studies on traffic, air quality and water supply that supported the city’s action. Those draft and final materials, including the EIR, appendices and other filings, are posted in the state’s CEQAnet database for the AVA Pacific Beach project. The environmental review flagged issues such as noise and cumulative impacts, which fed into the city’s findings and mitigation requirements.
Parking, Courtyards And A Bike Repair Station
Under the plan, several existing surface parking lots would be removed and replaced with two structured parking garages, while one surface lot would remain. Local reporting puts the on site parking total at about 756 spaces once the work is complete. New outdoor courtyards and a bike repair station are part of the design, intended to support biking and cut down on neighborhood car trips, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Supporters say those amenities, paired with transit access, helped sell the council on the project.
Rents, Affordability And The Owner
Local listings show AVA Pacific Beach asking roughly $2,100 to $3,500 in rent for studio through two-bedroom units, lining up with Pacific Beach market levels at the end of January. The proposal’s 138 additional apartments include seven affordable units, as described in project filings on the state’s CEQAnet site. Owner AvalonBay Communities remains active in the San Diego market, and its Avalon Mission Valley project broke ground in 2025, underscoring the company’s ongoing local pipeline, according to NBC 7 San Diego.
What Comes Next
Even with the council’s approval, the project still needs a coastal development permit and other state level reviews before any construction can start, and city materials indicate there is no firm timeline yet for that process. The California Coastal Commission and other agencies will get a crack at reviewing the EIR and its recommended mitigations, and any required changes in that phase could affect phasing or the final unit count. Neighbors and interested groups will have more chances to weigh in as the filings move into state review.
