< Back to News

Big Plans on the Horizon for Mission Valley

Rendering courtesy of Wolcott Architecture

By Zach Millrood

While seeing consistent declines in commercial real estate vacancy rates, Mission Valley remains one of the healthiest office markets in all of San Diego County. This can be attributed in part to the stability of the region—indeed, the tenant mix in Mission Valley consists of primarily low-volatility organizations such as business services, real estate, government entities, education, medical systems and government contractors.

Perhaps due to this stability and lack of innovative development, Mission Valley has been neglected for decades. There hasn’t been much excitement generated here in the past 15 years, however several plans are set to change that, with the potential to positively impact the market for decades to come.

Here’s a look at some of the more significant projects that are either underway or are currently on the drawing board:

AMP&RSAND

The former home of The San Diego Union-Tribune is the planned site of AMP&RSAND, a modern, 330,000 square foot campus stocked with amenities. The two 165,000 square foot buildings on site include a repositioned five-story office tower (where reporters used to work), and an adjacent three-story building that formerly housed a printing press. A new interior design for the buildings will have an industrial loft feel, including exposed brick, concrete pillars, high ceilings and oversized windows.

Hughes Marino San  Diego width=
Rendering courtesy of Wolcott Architecture

There are also plans for a 64,000 square foot outdoor gathering space, an amphitheater for group functions and a central meeting area set under a large Ficus tree planted by former U-T owner Helen Copley. Amenities will include: a fitness studio with spa-quality locker rooms, concierge services, a café and a bike center.

Former Qualcomm Stadium Site

There are dueling proposals regarding what to do with the site of the former Qualcomm Stadium (now called the San Diego County Credit Union Stadium) on Friars Road. The proposal for “SoccerCity,” a 168-acre site by FS Investors, calls for 4,800 residential units, 3.1 million square feet of office and retail space, 350 hotel rooms, 55 acres of green space and a 22,000 square foot stadium built for a professional soccer team.

It’s likely that voters will decide in 2018 on how this site will be developed. Backers of a competing plan, “SDSU West,” want to expand San Diego State University’s campus to the location with a mixed-used development that includes facilities for SDSU administrative buildings, classrooms and student housing; commercial, technology and office space; a river park with walking and biking paths or trails; retail space, hotels and a football stadium large enough for SDSU’s football team that could also be adaptable for a professional football or soccer team.

Civita

This 230-acre, mixed-use, master-planned community is already flush with 4,780 units of residences and 60-plus acres of parks and open space. Still to come: a 480,000 square foot retail center and 420,000 square feet of office campus.

Riverwalk Golf Course

If plans fall into place, by 2023 the 27-hole golf course will be replaced by a $2 billion Riverwalk project with a master-planned community of housing, offices, retail shopping and parkland.

Still awaiting San Diego City Council approval, Riverwalk could include 4,000 housing units in mid-rise buildings, one million square feet of office development on 20 acres located at the southeast corner of the site and 80 acres of a park with trails and recreational spaces. Some configuration of 18 holes of golf would also be revitalized. A new trolley stop is also envisioned for east of Via Las Cumbres.

Trolley Extension

Speaking of trolley news, the Metropolitan Transit System is well underway on the Mid-Coast Trolley Extension that will add new tracks starting in Old Town and heading north to University City.

Service is scheduled to begin in 2021, and for the first time the business and educational communities of Mission Valley, Downtown and University Town Center will be linked via usable public transportation.

The old fable notes that slow and steady wins the race. And while Mission Valley has been a steady player for some time, the market is currently on its toes and poised to race forward with a number of exciting possibilities.

This article was originally published in the Mission Valley News.

Zach Millrood is an executive vice president of Hughes Marino, a global corporate real estate advisory firm that exclusively represents tenants and buyers. Contact Zach at 1-844-662-6635 or zach@hughesmarino.com to learn more.



spaces we love iprospects big move to downtown san diego
Previous Story

Spaces We Love: iProspects’ Big Move to Downtown San Diego

hughes marino seattle office snapshots
Next Story

Inside Hughes Marino’s New Seattle Office