San Diego Planning Commission Approves 41-Story Mixed-Use Tower in Downtown San Diego

Today, the San Diego Planning Commission approved a 41-story mixed-use development with residential, hotel, and commercial-retail uses at 1122 Fourth Avenue in Downtown San Diego.

The Theatre House project proposed by Caydon USA would consist of 336 residential dwelling units, 190 hotel guest rooms, and 3,686 square feet (SF) of commercial/retail space. 

The project site is the location of a historically-designated theatre/office building known as the California Theatre, which was originally constructed in 1927 in the Spanish Colonial Revival Style. The property was designated a historical resource in 1990 due to its history as San Diego’s fifth major playhouse, its design by the famed architect John Paxton Perrine, and its role in the development and exploitation of films in the 1920s. 

The development proposal calls for demolishing the historical resource. However, after the Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) filed a lawsuit subsequent to the City Council’s initial approval of the project in 2017, Caydon reached a settlement agreement to reconstruct major portions of the California Theatre’s exterior facade and to rehabilitate and reuse certain non-structural ornamental historic components subsequent to the demolition.

The hotel component of the project would extend from the base up to level 8, and the residential condominiums would extend from level 8 to the tower top at level 41. There would be a shared amenity space with a pool and lounge areas on level 8, a gym and pet relief area on level 9, and a pool, cabanas, barbeque and bar space, and lounge areas on level 41. 

Moreover, 194 residential parking spaces, motorcycle parking and bicycle storage would be located in five subterranean parking levels. 50% of the units would have personal storage units and 29% would have balconies.

Carrier Johnson + CULTURE is designing the project, which promises a modern architectural aesthetic with a base designed like the current historic building to give it a unique street-level experience. The tower would contain balconies, various materials, different colors of glazing, and a curtain wall system to create a “ribbon” that appears to wrap around the tower. 

Per the proposal, the project developer requested a Site Development Permit, a Neighborhood Development Permit, a Neighborhood Use Permit for eight deviations from the development regulations in the San Diego Municipal Code, and a Tentative Map of the project.