Two Development Proposals Showcase Potential Future of the San Diego Pechanga Arena Site

San Diego officials are reviewing two competing development proposals for the 48-acre Pechanga Arena property, located just south of Mission Bay and SeaWorld in San Diego.

One proposal comes from the Midway Sports & Entertainment District, a partnership between Toll Brothers Properties and San Diego-developer David Malmuth. The other proposal comes from Brookfield+ASM Global Development, a partnership between Brookfield Properties and ASM Global. 

The Midway proposal would include a 15,000-seat soccer venue, a 12-acre regional public park that would host year-round art, music and sporting events, a newly modernized Sports Arena, a 3,500-seat music venue, and a mixed-use residential neighborhood with 1,500 new homes, including affordable housing. The mixed-use development will also include 185,000 square feet of office space and 125,000 square feet of retail space. This project would cost around $125-million. 

The Brookfield+ASM project would include five acres of public parks, 2,100 housing units including units affordable to families of all income levels, and 590,000 square feet of commercial uses. 

The City of San Diego will review both proposals and in early August, a selection committee could potentially be formed to make a recommendation to the Mayor, who can choose to go with that recommendation or the other plan. It then goes to the City Council, who would make their final vote in mid-September.

With the Midway Height Repeal Measure slated for the November 2020 ballot, the winning applicant will have to also convince the community to approve the removal of that 30-foot height limit to provide additional flexibility and make the project fit.