While excitement abounded for many when the U.S. Navy awarded the bid to redevelop its Broadway Complex to Doug Manchester and the Manchester Financial Group on March 31, other San Diegans were less enthusiastic. Previously, groups like C3 (Citizens Coordinate for Century 3) were vocal in their insistence on a less heavily developed waterfront “” something Manchester’s plan was clearly not.
To make its concerns heard, C3 held a breakfast dialogue at the Holiday Inn Embarcadero on April 27, with members of the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), the Navy, a former city architect, an open space advocate and a representative from Manchester.
The meeting’s tone was best described by the flyer, which posed a choice: legacy civic/cultural place/park or high rise wall of hotels/office buildings/shops? The meeting’s sponsor wished to remain anonymous.
Peter Q. Davis, former CCDC director and port commissioner who has been outspoken on the development proposals, moderated the discussion. The lynchpins shaping the complex’s development are two contracts from the 1990s: the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, which provides guidelines for public improvements, and a 1992 development agreement, which does the same for both private and public development.
“That’s the question before us today: For those who think things have changed since 1992, what are we going to do about that?” Davis asked before he introduced his panel.
His first concern was addressed to Wayne Raffesberger, a director for CCDC. Davis inquired as to why the proposed Navy building, one of the four parcels on the Complex land which must be built by Manchester in exchange for a long-term lease on the remaining three parcels, does not require a building permit. Raffesberger confirmed that as a federal building, it will not require a building permit, but is nonetheless required to be consistent with the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan.
Captain Mike Allen, chief of staff for Navy Regents Southwest, then assured Davis that the cost and aesthetic will be of high quality when Davis said that military buildings are not always held to high standards.
“The buildings are going to be completely consistent with the rest of the development. This is a major project for Manchester, and they’re not going to want to diminish the value of the property surrounding them,” Allen said.
Allen also confirmed that the Navy does in fact have a dollar figure in mind for the building and is currently in exclusive negotiations with Manchester.
While the government and developers are committed to working within the 1992 plan, architect Mike Stepner was in the unique position of critiquing the plan, 14 years after he helped write it.
He explained his changed mind, stating, “I’m one of those people who believe the 1992 plan was a visionary plan, and one of those people who believe the facts have changed. And that what was good in 1992 really is no longer the most appropriate use of the parcel for downtown San Diego.”
Explaining Stepner’s point of view, Davis noted that the 1992 devenopment agreement was written in the same year as the previous downtown Community Plan, prior to this year’s rewriting. As downtown has changed in ways nobody had anticipated, there was pressure to rewrite the community plan, which was adopted by the city this year. Why, then, was the 1992 development agreement for the Complex not also rewritten, Davis asked. As downtown’s population has far exceeded predictions, concerns of overdevelopment and a need for open areas have become more important.
According to Davis, San Diego and its downtown were facing tough times in 1992. There was very little development and property taxes were dropping, leading some to fear that CCDC bonds could not be covered. Davis reasoned that in the city’s mind, “any development was good, and more development was better.”
He and others are concerned over the development of prime waterfront property that the proposed development will wall off the waterfront from the city.
Manchester Financial Group Executive Vice President Perry Dealy countered that the existing Navy buildings and fences wall off the city and that their project will bring people back to the waterfront with view corridors, large easements and pedestrian byways.
Representatives for the Manchester Group have previously said that a certain amount of commercial and retail space is necessary to make the project financially feasible for them.
In response to concerns about putting the main promenade of the development between the major buildings, instead of along the waterfront as the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan requires, Dealy explained the avoidance of a dead zone in the middle of the development. In their plan, all buildings will be a mixed-use combination of office, hotel, retail and commercial. Dealy argued that the city will become a vibrant center with 24-hour activity. Their promenade would serve the businesses in the development and be safer at night than a promenade along the waterfront, he reasoned.
Still, questions on the constraints of the agreement lingered.
“Within the design envelope, we are flexible. We do have the chance to do something really special,” Raffesberger said to quell doubts.
But George Driver, president of Partners for Livable Places, recommended thinking beyond these constraints, which aren’t immovable.
“We can ask for a new deal,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that can be done in here. We don’t have to play these cards that we’re dealt. We can play different cards, we have plenty of time.”
Along this line, Dealy commended the CCDC for setting up its public outreach project, consisting of meetings, workshops and hearings, to allow the public’s input on the development.
“We can’t build a building until we get the sign-off from CCDC. CCDC are the gatekeeper [to the master plan],” Dealy said.
Finally, Davis summarized that “People kept in the dark assume the worst,” he said. Opening the process will no doubt build public support and confidence in the project.
Davis closed with a quote from Robert Kennedy, saying, “Some people see things that are and ask ‘Why?’ and other people see things that aren’t and ask, ‘Why not?’
“Hopefully we’ll all continue to ask ‘why not’ for those issues that are important to us,” Davis said.
Then next CCDC public meetings, workshops and hearings take place Saturday, May 13 at the Palisades building, 2130 Pan American Plaza, 10 a.m., and Wednesday, May 24, in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 202 C Street, 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.ccdc.com.