Central Embarcadero
The Port is pursuing development of the Central Embarcadero. This is a prime site of approximately 70 acres of land and water situated between downtown San Diego and the San Diego Bayfront. This highly visible and desirable area includes Seaport Village, Santa Monica Seafood (formerly Chesapeake Fish), and surrounding areas between the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the USS Midway Museum. The Headquarters and The Fish Market Restaurant are within the boundary but excluded from the proposal process because there are long-term leases on those properties.
Central Embarcadero Project Timeline
The Port of San Diego has been pursuing redevelopment of the Central Embarcadero through an open, public and competitive process.
Board of Port Commissioners directs staff to move forward on a development strategy for the Central Embarcadero.
Board unanimously votes to direct staff to seek development proposals for this area.
Port issues Request for Proposals.
Due date for proposals. Eleven are received, and six proposals meet the criteria for consideration.
Port hosts an Open House, inviting the community to preview the six proposals and provide comments. More than 1,200 people attend.
Board directs staff to exclusively continue discussions with 1HWY1 to further evaluate their proposal, called Seaport San Diego, while not eliminating the other five proposals.
Board votes to select 1HWY1's proposal, while reserving certain rights on behalf of the agency.
Board directs staff to negotiate and enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) for a period of two years with Protea Waterfront Development, LLC (PWD), the managing member of 1HWY1, with a project description to be completed in one year.
Port enters into an ENA with PWD.
1HWY1 presents proposed project changes to the Board to receive early feedback prior to finalizing their project description.
Port staff will present a progress update and, responding to feedback from the March 2018 Board meeting, 1HWY1 will present additional changes to their proposal and receive early feedback prior to submitting its project description, which is due December 31, 2018.
Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is this and how big is the site?
The Central Embarcadero comprises approximately 40 acres of land and 30 acres of water. It is bordered by the USS Midway Museum and Harbor Drive to the north, Manchester Grand Hyatt and Kettner Boulevard to the east, and San Diego Bay to the south and west. The site also includes Embarcadero Marina Park North, Ruocco Park and Tuna Harbor. The Headquarters and The Fish Market Restaurant are within the boundary but excluded from the plan due to long-term leases on those properties.
What is the Seaport San Diego proposal?
1HWY1 currently proposes to include the following programmatic components, which are undergoing due diligence and are subject to change:
- A 500-foot-tall observation tower (80,000 square feet)
- Water-oriented facilities potentially including mega-yacht slips, commercial fishing slips and recreational boat slips
- Aquarium with a butterfly exhibit (180,000 square feet)
- Public Realm (More than 70 percent of the project will include parks, promenades, plazas, and other public amenity areas)
- 1,933 hotel rooms (hostel, micro hotel, select/limited service, extended stay and full-service)
- Retail (276,000 square feet)
- Office space (150,000 square feet)
- Educational Center (75,000 square feet)
- Parking (2,200 spaces proposed)
How did the Port choose a proposal?
A competitive process was used to select a proposal. The goal was to select a high-quality proposal for the site, potentially with the creation of a significant architectural feature or focal point to create a unique identity for the area and the bay. The proposals were required to build on the Integrated Planning Vision Statement and Guiding Principles that were accepted by the Board in 2014, and the Framework Report accepted by the Board in November 2015. Specifically, proposals for the site needed to consider:
- More public space on the water
- Extending streets to the water
- Preserving and enhancing view corridors
- Facilitating the enjoyment of the bay
What is the impact on businesses within Seaport Village?
As the construction timeline becomes clearer on the 1HWY1 proposal, Protea, which manages and operates Seaport Village on the Port's behalf, will work with the Port, the businesses and the 1HWY1 team on a transition plan during construction. The transition plan may include businesses from the existing Seaport Village. The Seaport San Diego proposal includes retail and public market components that could provide future opportunities for these businesses. The 1HWY1 team has stated that discussions with the existing businesses have been ongoing and they are working toward developing a retention plan to be shared with the Port and the businesses at a later date.
How can I have input into this process?
The Port is committed to public input. The public can provide input at meetings of the Board of Port Commissioners, which are publicly noticed on the Port of San Diego website. In addition, the future project would undergo environmental review, which offers additional opportunities for public input.