With the goal of creating more housing opportunities near transit and job centers, the City Council unanimously adopted on Sept. 17 a new Midway community plan update that revitalizes the area by more than doubling the capacity for future housing, providing 30 acres of new parkland and creating a new pathway for pedestrians and cyclists that connects Mission Bay and San Diego Bay.
“This will set the stage for the type of development we want to see in the Midway area like more housing and jobs for residents and a revitalized entertainment district that all San Diegans can enjoy,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer, who has led a renewed effort to update community plans citywide. “We’re doubling down on our strategy of focusing new development around transit and job centers as we rebuild our city for the future.”
Updating community plans is a key part of Faulconer’s “Housing SD” plan – a set of policies and initiatives to increase housing affordability and supply for San Diegans.
The Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan currently has a population of about 5,600 and covers roughly 1,324 acres in a central area adjacent to the San Diego River, Interstate 5, two trolley stations and the San Diego International Airport – all of which makes it an ideal area to implement the “City of Villages” strategy that calls for pedestrian-friendly community centers linked to regional transit.
The new update for the Midway area provides a land-use framework allowing for more housing opportunities near transit priority areas and encourages commercial activity and job opportunities for nearby residents. Specifically, the plan would increase housing capacity from 5,040 units in the existing plan to 11,585 units – a 130 percent increase – with 99 percent of those units located in transit priority areas.
The Midway-Pacific Highway Community Plan update allows for the following future growth:
A bay-to-bay multi-use path that will support bicycle and pedestrian travel between Mission Bay and San Diego Bay.
Thirty acres of new parkland, including two linear parks connected by enhanced streetscapes that complement the multi-use path.
A new recreation center to serve future residents.
A vibrant entertainment area that incorporates a mix of entertainment, office, retail, housing and park space to be potentially be developed with the existing Sports Arena, with a new Sports Arena or without a Sports Arena.
Since 2014, the City has updated nine community plans with Midway marking the 10th to be completed. Six more community plan updates are underway with Old Town slated to go before the City Council next month.