Downtown Re-development
North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, or “NEVP.” Hundreds attended the groundbreaking ceremony; many had worked for more than a decade to make it happen.
cott Peters addresses NEVP Groundbreaking Event
When construction is complete, San Diego Bay will connect with downtown San Diego in an inviting and spectacular way worthy of our dynamic city and of this beautiful waterfront property. It will be a unique and dramatic gateway between the city and the water, and a brilliant testament to what can be accomplished when people with different points of view are brought together to find common ground for the common good.
Here’s where it is: NEVP Phase I encompasses the area on North Harbor Drive, near the Navy Pier, north to the B Street Pier, and east up a portion of West Broadway. It will create a 105-foot wide esplanade, or walkway, and a total of about 12 acres of public space complete with formal gardens, plazas, shady pavilions and public art by renowned artists. It will be a place where people can meander along the waterfront, take a jog, or bike ride or just enjoy the view!
Eventually, it will be popular not just as a pretty place to pass through, but also as a destination in itself that will draw residents and visitors to special events such as art exhibits and concerts and festivals.
The hardscape and utilities will have special features that define it and make it 
exceptional among the other sidewalks and streets downtown with distinct paving and medians, and rows of decorative palm trees and lighting. It will be such an extraordinary place that it will draw nice new developments adjacent to it, creating more public spaces for people to enjoy downtown.
Projects of this scale and grandeur never happen quickly, and they don’t happen without spirited public discussion and debate. That can definitely be said of this project.
Many agencies and people contributed to NEVP Phase 1
First, there were several agencies involved: The Port of San Diego, the City of San Diego, and the Centre City Development Corporation, together formed a Joint Powers Authority. So it required a lot of cooperation and compromise, and ultimately approvals from all of these agencies, and from the California Coastal Commission. It also rightly required input from members of the public, many who had really strong opinions that didn’t always line up with the original plans put forward.
And that made it really hard at times; but I very much believe that it will be a better project because of the changes we made to address concerns raised by the public. That’s the way it’s supposed to work! I extend a big thank you to everyone who paid attention and offered suggestions and stuck with it for so long.
When I first started serving on the City Council in 2000, our priorities for downtown were completing the ballpark, building the library and renovating the waterfront with the NEVP.
Look at what we can accomplish when our public leaders listen, bring people together, and forge consensus. We created for San Diego something that will benefit the public for decades to come.
Download" /> North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, or “NEVP.” Hundreds attended the groundbreaking ceremony; many had worked for more than a decade to make it happen.
cott Peters addresses NEVP Groundbreaking Event
When construction is complete, San Diego Bay will connect with downtown San Diego in an inviting and spectacular way worthy of our dynamic city and of this beautiful waterfront property. It will be a unique and dramatic gateway between the city and the water, and a brilliant testament to what can be accomplished when people with different points of view are brought together to find common ground for the common good.
Here’s where it is: NEVP Phase I encompasses the area on North Harbor Drive, near the Navy Pier, north to the B Street Pier, and east up a portion of West Broadway. It will create a 105-foot wide esplanade, or walkway, and a total of about 12 acres of public space complete with formal gardens, plazas, shady pavilions and public art by renowned artists. It will be a place where people can meander along the waterfront, take a jog, or bike ride or just enjoy the view!
Eventually, it will be popular not just as a pretty place to pass through, but also as a destination in itself that will draw residents and visitors to special events such as art exhibits and concerts and festivals.
The hardscape and utilities will have special features that define it and make it exceptional among the other sidewalks and streets downtown with distinct paving and medians, and rows of decorative palm trees and lighting. It will be such an extraordinary place that it will draw nice new developments adjacent to it, creating more public spaces for people to enjoy downtown.
Projects of this scale and grandeur never happen quickly, and they don’t happen without spirited public discussion and debate. That can definitely be said of this project.
Many agencies and people contributed to NEVP Phase 1
First, there were several agencies involved: The Port of San Diego, the City of San Diego, and the Centre City Development Corporation, together formed a Joint Powers Authority. So it required a lot of cooperation and compromise, and ultimately approvals from all of these agencies, and from the California Coastal Commission. It also rightly required input from members of the public, many who had really strong opinions that didn’t always line up with the original plans put forward.
And that made it really hard at times; but I very much believe that it will be a better project because of the changes we made to address concerns raised by the public. That’s the way it’s supposed to work! I extend a big thank you to everyone who paid attention and offered suggestions and stuck with it for so long.
When I first started serving on the City Council in 2000, our priorities for downtown were completing the ballpark, building the library and renovating the waterfront with the NEVP.
Look at what we can accomplish when our public leaders listen, bring people together, and forge consensus. We created for San Diego something that will benefit the public for decades to come.
Download" />NEVP: A new gateway between San Diego’s waterfront and downtown
It took 15 years to get here, and the road was bumpy at times along the way, but today construction began on the first phase of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, or “NEVP.” Hundreds attended the groundbreaking ceremony; many had worked for more than a decade to make it happen.
cott Peters addresses NEVP Groundbreaking Event
When construction is complete, San Diego Bay will connect with downtown San Diego in an inviting and spectacular way worthy of our dynamic city and of this beautiful waterfront property. It will be a unique and dramatic gateway between the city and the water, and a brilliant testament to what can be accomplished when people with different points of view are brought together to find common ground for the common good.
Here’s where it is: NEVP Phase I encompasses the area on North Harbor Drive, near the Navy Pier, north to the B Street Pier, and east up a portion of West Broadway. It will create a 105-foot wide esplanade, or walkway, and a total of about 12 acres of public space complete with formal gardens, plazas, shady pavilions and public art by renowned artists. It will be a place where people can meander along the waterfront, take a jog, or bike ride or just enjoy the view!
Eventually, it will be popular not just as a pretty place to pass through, but also as a destination in itself that will draw residents and visitors to special events such as art exhibits and concerts and festivals.
The hardscape and utilities will have special features that define it and make it exceptional among the other sidewalks and streets downtown with distinct paving and medians, and rows of decorative palm trees and lighting. It will be such an extraordinary place that it will draw nice new developments adjacent to it, creating more public spaces for people to enjoy downtown.
Projects of this scale and grandeur never happen quickly, and they don’t happen without spirited public discussion and debate. That can definitely be said of this project.
Many agencies and people contributed to NEVP Phase 1
First, there were several agencies involved: The Port of San Diego, the City of San Diego, and the Centre City Development Corporation, together formed a Joint Powers Authority. So it required a lot of cooperation and compromise, and ultimately approvals from all of these agencies, and from the California Coastal Commission. It also rightly required input from members of the public, many who had really strong opinions that didn’t always line up with the original plans put forward.
And that made it really hard at times; but I very much believe that it will be a better project because of the changes we made to address concerns raised by the public. That’s the way it’s supposed to work! I extend a big thank you to everyone who paid attention and offered suggestions and stuck with it for so long.
When I first started serving on the City Council in 2000, our priorities for downtown were completing the ballpark, building the library and renovating the waterfront with the NEVP.
Look at what we can accomplish when our public leaders listen, bring people together, and forge consensus. We created for San Diego something that will benefit the public for decades to come.
Recently the Equinox Center and EDC hosted an event called “The Young & Restless: Winning the Race for America’s Best Talent”, discussing how San Diego can attract 25-34 year old working professionals and keep them happy enough to stay. Sitting comfortably in this demographic and pondering whether San Diego truly is the best place for my husband and me to work and eventually raise a family, the topic genuinely piqued my interest.
During the luncheon, Joseph Cortright, a leading economist specializing in regional economic analysis, innovation and industry clusters, spoke on what cities are currently attracting young talent, why, and in general what we youngins base our decisions upon. In short, it boiled down to well-built urban centers close to major business districts with plenty of public transportation, walkability and entertainment at our finger tips. I definitely agree with these generalizations, hence I live in University Heights, a 10 minute drive from work and arguably one of the most walkable neighborhoods in San Diego. But what I felt was missing, at least from San Diego’s perspective, is the actual opportunity of work.
Joe Cortright speaking at the Luncheon
I grew up in San Diego, so initially the choice to reside here was natural and carefree, but in the past few years diving deeper into my career, thoughts and realities of moving to a larger city have come into play. San Diego is a beautiful, kind and wonderful place to live, but it is difficult to find a stimulating long lasting career in San Diego, especially if you possess a more creative creed.
What’s missing for my husband and me? The abundance of big jobs, big brands, big agencies and career longevity that exists in cities we’ve considered moving to such as LA, San Francisco and even Vancouver, British Columbia, eh. Luckily, we’ve both found jobs we are very happy with, but both have sacrificed some of our greater career wants and strong opportunities to stay in America’s Finest City. Whether that affects us in the long run, we don’t yet know.
Perhaps if I were not right-brain dominant, my perspective would be different and I would be wearing a lab coat somewhere in La Jolla. So I guess my question is, does San Diego simply focus on attracting my antithesis – the scientist and engineer — in order to keep its economy growing? Or should San Diego attempt to recruit bigger companies that creatives could find a home with? At the end of the day, I want a place that is walkable, clean, does not require me to drive much, can feed me delicious and healthy food, and can pay me well so I can enjoy all those things my city provides. I know that’s a lot to ask, but it’s truth. Luckily, native San Diegans for the most part have a tough time cutting the apron strings and flying our beautiful nest, but if I were not from here and absent were Sunday night home cooked ritual meals with my family, I would have left years ago.
What do you think? What can San Diego do to attract young talent and keep them here for the long run?
Download" />Guest Post: Young & Restless in San Diego
This post was written by Whitney Benjamin, a native San Diegan and marketing professional.
source
Recently the Equinox Center and EDC hosted an event called “The Young & Restless: Winning the Race for America’s Best Talent”, discussing how San Diego can attract 25-34 year old working professionals and keep them happy enough to stay. Sitting comfortably in this demographic and pondering whether San Diego truly is the best place for my husband and me to work and eventually raise a family, the topic genuinely piqued my interest.
During the luncheon, Joseph Cortright, a leading economist specializing in regional economic analysis, innovation and industry clusters, spoke on what cities are currently attracting young talent, why, and in general what we youngins base our decisions upon. In short, it boiled down to well-built urban centers close to major business districts with plenty of public transportation, walkability and entertainment at our finger tips. I definitely agree with these generalizations, hence I live in University Heights, a 10 minute drive from work and arguably one of the most walkable neighborhoods in San Diego. But what I felt was missing, at least from San Diego’s perspective, is the actual opportunity of work.
Joe Cortright speaking at the Luncheon
I grew up in San Diego, so initially the choice to reside here was natural and carefree, but in the past few years diving deeper into my career, thoughts and realities of moving to a larger city have come into play. San Diego is a beautiful, kind and wonderful place to live, but it is difficult to find a stimulating long lasting career in San Diego, especially if you possess a more creative creed.
What’s missing for my husband and me? The abundance of big jobs, big brands, big agencies and career longevity that exists in cities we’ve considered moving to such as LA, San Francisco and even Vancouver, British Columbia, eh. Luckily, we’ve both found jobs we are very happy with, but both have sacrificed some of our greater career wants and strong opportunities to stay in America’s Finest City. Whether that affects us in the long run, we don’t yet know.
Perhaps if I were not right-brain dominant, my perspective would be different and I would be wearing a lab coat somewhere in La Jolla. So I guess my question is, does San Diego simply focus on attracting my antithesis – the scientist and engineer — in order to keep its economy growing? Or should San Diego attempt to recruit bigger companies that creatives could find a home with? At the end of the day, I want a place that is walkable, clean, does not require me to drive much, can feed me delicious and healthy food, and can pay me well so I can enjoy all those things my city provides. I know that’s a lot to ask, but it’s truth. Luckily, native San Diegans for the most part have a tough time cutting the apron strings and flying our beautiful nest, but if I were not from here and absent were Sunday night home cooked ritual meals with my family, I would have left years ago.
What do you think? What can San Diego do to attract young talent and keep them here for the long run?
One of the ways for the Port to increase its hotel and restaurant revenues is to get tourists to make the San Diego waterfront a place that people will want to travel to, stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants. But if you want a great waterfront to be an attraction for tourists, it first has to be a great place for residents.
Think about the places you like to visit on the water — in Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, wherever. All these places are also places that the locals think are cool and frequent often. It turns out that if places are good places that locals enjoy – because they’re fun or beautiful or exciting or artsy – tourists will hear about them too. So it’s time for San Diego to start looking at ways to improve our own waterfront for our locals because if we build our waterfront for our homies, tourism revenue will follow.
We all know that us Californians love our beaches. And to our credit, we have regulated the heck out of coastal development in order to keep these beaches beautiful. Nowhere on our coast does it look like Miami Beach (which is fine for them) and there are very few coastlines in the US that are as pristine as the entire coastline north of Santa Barbara.
Our coast is also different in that it is almost entirely open to the public. Residential uses are disfavored in the coastal zone because nobody should own it; everyone should get to visit and enjoy it. And for this reason, the State Lands Commission wants coastal developments to be “visitor serving.”
That can make it a little challenging to build a waterfront that’s first a great place for the locals. For example, right now, we are re-planning Seaport Village and the historic Old Police Headquarters. The tenant might love to sell food like they do at Granville Island in Vancouver, but the tidelands can’t have a grocery store. A grocery is considered a use for locals.
But is a public market like Granville Island’s the same thing? Vancouverites use it all the time (local serving), but tourists fly from all over to go there as well (visitor serving!). We would like to take advantage of the common interests of locals and visitors, not get tripped up by it.
We discussed this with State Land officials during this month’s trip to Sacramento. We wanted to get their read on food service and other creative ideas we might float for the waterfront. They were open-minded and productive, and we will continue to work with them to remake our waterfront. We hope that together we can think of ways to make our waterfront a hip, fun, interesting place for residents and visitors.
What would you like to see at our waterfront, or in a new and improved Seaport Village? Let me know here. http://www.portofsandiego.org/seaport-village-planning-project.html
Download" />
One of the ways for the Port to increase its hotel and restaurant revenues is to get tourists to make the San Diego waterfront a place that people will want to travel to, stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants. But if you want a great waterfront to be an attraction for tourists, it first has to be a great place for residents.
Think about the places you like to visit on the water — in Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, wherever. All these places are also places that the locals think are cool and frequent often. It turns out that if places are good places that locals enjoy – because they’re fun or beautiful or exciting or artsy – tourists will hear about them too. So it’s time for San Diego to start looking at ways to improve our own waterfront for our locals because if we build our waterfront for our homies, tourism revenue will follow.
We all know that us Californians love our beaches. And to our credit, we have regulated the heck out of coastal development in order to keep these beaches beautiful. Nowhere on our coast does it look like Miami Beach (which is fine for them) and there are very few coastlines in the US that are as pristine as the entire coastline north of Santa Barbara.
Our coast is also different in that it is almost entirely open to the public. Residential uses are disfavored in the coastal zone because nobody should own it; everyone should get to visit and enjoy it. And for this reason, the State Lands Commission wants coastal developments to be “visitor serving.”
That can make it a little challenging to build a waterfront that’s first a great place for the locals. For example, right now, we are re-planning Seaport Village and the historic Old Police Headquarters. The tenant might love to sell food like they do at Granville Island in Vancouver, but the tidelands can’t have a grocery store. A grocery is considered a use for locals.
But is a public market like Granville Island’s the same thing? Vancouverites use it all the time (local serving), but tourists fly from all over to go there as well (visitor serving!). We would like to take advantage of the common interests of locals and visitors, not get tripped up by it.
We discussed this with State Land officials during this month’s trip to Sacramento. We wanted to get their read on food service and other creative ideas we might float for the waterfront. They were open-minded and productive, and we will continue to work with them to remake our waterfront. We hope that together we can think of ways to make our waterfront a hip, fun, interesting place for residents and visitors.
What would you like to see at our waterfront, or in a new and improved Seaport Village? Let me know here. http://www.portofsandiego.org/seaport-village-planning-project.html
Download" />
One of the ways for the Port to increase its hotel and restaurant revenues is to get tourists to make the San Diego waterfront a place that people will want to travel to, stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants. But if you want a great waterfront to be an attraction for tourists, it first has to be a great place for residents.
Think about the places you like to visit on the water — in Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, wherever. All these places are also places that the locals think are cool and frequent often. It turns out that if places are good places that locals enjoy – because they’re fun or beautiful or exciting or artsy – tourists will hear about them too. So it’s time for San Diego to start looking at ways to improve our own waterfront for our locals because if we build our waterfront for our homies, tourism revenue will follow.
We all know that us Californians love our beaches. And to our credit, we have regulated the heck out of coastal development in order to keep these beaches beautiful. Nowhere on our coast does it look like Miami Beach (which is fine for them) and there are very few coastlines in the US that are as pristine as the entire coastline north of Santa Barbara.
Our coast is also different in that it is almost entirely open to the public. Residential uses are disfavored in the coastal zone because nobody should own it; everyone should get to visit and enjoy it. And for this reason, the State Lands Commission wants coastal developments to be “visitor serving.”
That can make it a little challenging to build a waterfront that’s first a great place for the locals. For example, right now, we are re-planning Seaport Village and the historic Old Police Headquarters. The tenant might love to sell food like they do at Granville Island in Vancouver, but the tidelands can’t have a grocery store. A grocery is considered a use for locals.
But is a public market like Granville Island’s the same thing? Vancouverites use it all the time (local serving), but tourists fly from all over to go there as well (visitor serving!). We would like to take advantage of the common interests of locals and visitors, not get tripped up by it.
We discussed this with State Land officials during this month’s trip to Sacramento. We wanted to get their read on food service and other creative ideas we might float for the waterfront. They were open-minded and productive, and we will continue to work with them to remake our waterfront. We hope that together we can think of ways to make our waterfront a hip, fun, interesting place for residents and visitors.
What would you like to see at our waterfront, or in a new and improved Seaport Village? Let me know here. http://www.portofsandiego.org/seaport-village-planning-project.html
Download" />Ideas for Making our Waterfront More Appealing to Locals
One of the ways for the Port to increase its hotel and restaurant revenues is to get tourists to make the San Diego waterfront a place that people will want to travel to, stay in the hotels and eat in the restaurants. But if you want a great waterfront to be an attraction for tourists, it first has to be a great place for residents.
Think about the places you like to visit on the water — in Seattle, San Francisco, San Antonio, wherever. All these places are also places that the locals think are cool and frequent often. It turns out that if places are good places that locals enjoy – because they’re fun or beautiful or exciting or artsy – tourists will hear about them too. So it’s time for San Diego to start looking at ways to improve our own waterfront for our locals because if we build our waterfront for our homies, tourism revenue will follow.
We all know that us Californians love our beaches. And to our credit, we have regulated the heck out of coastal development in order to keep these beaches beautiful. Nowhere on our coast does it look like Miami Beach (which is fine for them) and there are very few coastlines in the US that are as pristine as the entire coastline north of Santa Barbara.
Our coast is also different in that it is almost entirely open to the public. Residential uses are disfavored in the coastal zone because nobody should own it; everyone should get to visit and enjoy it. And for this reason, the State Lands Commission wants coastal developments to be “visitor serving.”
That can make it a little challenging to build a waterfront that’s first a great place for the locals. For example, right now, we are re-planning Seaport Village and the historic Old Police Headquarters. The tenant might love to sell food like they do at Granville Island in Vancouver, but the tidelands can’t have a grocery store. A grocery is considered a use for locals.
But is a public market like Granville Island’s the same thing? Vancouverites use it all the time (local serving), but tourists fly from all over to go there as well (visitor serving!). We would like to take advantage of the common interests of locals and visitors, not get tripped up by it.
We discussed this with State Land officials during this month’s trip to Sacramento. We wanted to get their read on food service and other creative ideas we might float for the waterfront. They were open-minded and productive, and we will continue to work with them to remake our waterfront. We hope that together we can think of ways to make our waterfront a hip, fun, interesting place for residents and visitors.
What would you like to see at our waterfront, or in a new and improved Seaport Village? Let me know here. http://www.portofsandiego.org/seaport-village-planning-project.html
In San Diego, we defined our permitting partnership with the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, which proposes to develop the Phase III expansion of the convention center. As proposed, phase III will add about 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, 80,000 square feet of multi-purpose ballroom space and 100,000 square feet of meeting room space. The design also includes five acres of public space. Over the coming months, the Port, as lead agency, will conduct the environmental review process, solicit public feedback to refine the project design and public spaces. This year, we are focused on the permitting. At the Port, we hope to have our environmental impact report finished by the end of the year, which is a very aggressive timetable. Then we have to get the support of the California Coastal Commission. The current convention center is often criticized for “walling off the bay” from the public. The Coastal Commission, which is charged with protecting public access, will want to know how our expansion might make this situation better.
Assuming we get permits, we will have to figure out a way to pay for it. . We know that our proposed design is less than the $750 to $800 million originally expected, but we don’t know how much less. We also know that the hotel industry will finance most of the project, but we don’t know how much. Ultimately, those who will benefit financially from the expansion are the ones that should be expected to pay for it.
Download" />
In San Diego, we defined our permitting partnership with the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, which proposes to develop the Phase III expansion of the convention center. As proposed, phase III will add about 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, 80,000 square feet of multi-purpose ballroom space and 100,000 square feet of meeting room space. The design also includes five acres of public space. Over the coming months, the Port, as lead agency, will conduct the environmental review process, solicit public feedback to refine the project design and public spaces. This year, we are focused on the permitting. At the Port, we hope to have our environmental impact report finished by the end of the year, which is a very aggressive timetable. Then we have to get the support of the California Coastal Commission. The current convention center is often criticized for “walling off the bay” from the public. The Coastal Commission, which is charged with protecting public access, will want to know how our expansion might make this situation better.
Assuming we get permits, we will have to figure out a way to pay for it. . We know that our proposed design is less than the $750 to $800 million originally expected, but we don’t know how much less. We also know that the hotel industry will finance most of the project, but we don’t know how much. Ultimately, those who will benefit financially from the expansion are the ones that should be expected to pay for it.
Download" />San Diego Convention Center Expansion
In San Diego, we defined our permitting partnership with the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, which proposes to develop the Phase III expansion of the convention center. As proposed, phase III will add about 225,000 square feet of exhibit space, 80,000 square feet of multi-purpose ballroom space and 100,000 square feet of meeting room space. The design also includes five acres of public space. Over the coming months, the Port, as lead agency, will conduct the environmental review process, solicit public feedback to refine the project design and public spaces. This year, we are focused on the permitting. At the Port, we hope to have our environmental impact report finished by the end of the year, which is a very aggressive timetable. Then we have to get the support of the California Coastal Commission. The current convention center is often criticized for “walling off the bay” from the public. The Coastal Commission, which is charged with protecting public access, will want to know how our expansion might make this situation better.
Assuming we get permits, we will have to figure out a way to pay for it. . We know that our proposed design is less than the $750 to $800 million originally expected, but we don’t know how much less. We also know that the hotel industry will finance most of the project, but we don’t know how much. Ultimately, those who will benefit financially from the expansion are the ones that should be expected to pay for it.