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<\/a>Matt Semic, a senior associate with Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering, has been closely associated with the U-T project since development applications were submitted. The City Council gave final approval to the project on Sept. 15.<\/p>\n
Latitude 33 worked with the city of San Diego, the Mission Valley Planning Group, community groups, the design team and property owner Doug Manchester (who has since sold the land) to make sure the project complied with city planning policy and attained environmental approvals.<\/p>\n
Semic said the project is expected to bring new energy to an ongoing civic effort to reclaim the river.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will have a direct connection to the river and encourage activity and gathering along the river throughout our entire project,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost importantly, we will be the first project implementing the river trail and bicycle pathway directly along the river.\u00a0This will have public art, benches, lighting and \u2018look-out points.\u2019\u00a0We will be putting in a 0.82-acre park directly along the river, numerous outdoor seating areas with public access, townhomes with direct access to the river trail, and public restrooms.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project\u2019s planned amenities pleased the Mission Valley Planning Group, which is committed to transforming the riverfront. Rob Hutsel, a member of the planning group, is also the executive director of the San Diego River Park Foundation. Hutsel told Mission Valley News that his foundation worked with the project managers and is supportive of their goals. He said the U-T project will provide an important link on the river trail and bicycle pathway, and get rid of the existing \u201cjungle\u201d to create a visually appealing public space.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of the brush and weeds would be omitted along the frontage, but an effort would be made to actually keep the mature trees along the river,\u201d Semic said.\u00a0\u201cThat was also a goal along Camino de la Reina to preserve the tranquility.\u201d<\/p>\n
After the luxury apartments are built and the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center makeover is completed, Hutsel said, the river will become an oasis for walkers, hikers and bicyclists from Avenida del Rio \u2014 the Fashion Valley Mall entrance off Camino de la Reina \u2014 to Fashion Valley Road.<\/p>\n
\u201cContributing to the activation of the river\u201d made him proud, Semic said. \u201cWe are lucky enough to have an amazing natural resource going through the center of Mission Valley.\u00a0We should be incorporating development within the river and turning this into a dynamic part of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Semic and Hutzel both said they are pleased that the project also embraced being a transit-oriented development (TOD), giving its prime location across the river from the Fashion Valley Transit Center where a number of bus lines connect with San Diego Trolley\u2019s Green Line (Santee to Downtown).<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project could not be a better example of TOD,\u201d Semic said.\u00a0\u201cWe have significant existing office space [the Union-Tribune building] directly adjacent to the proposed residential.\u00a0Our hope would be new businesses move into the office space and their employees opt to live in the apartments.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition,\u201d he said, \u201cwe are putting in a pathway that would connect us to the trolley, with the Fashion Valley station less than 1,000 feet away.\u00a0We are also the first development to put in the San Diego River Trail to aid in pedestrian and bicycle circulation to connect residencies, offices and the major retail centers.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerns about parking and traffic were raised during the approval process, and project consultant Perry Dealy, who also sits on the Planning Group, told Mission Valley News in the June edition that there would be 985 parking spots for the entire property, including the 200 luxury apartments, the U-T office building and the former printing plant building.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is sufficient parking,\u201d Semic said. \u201cWe have a surplus,\u00a0and we are not degrading Camino de la Reina in any way.\u00a0In fact, with the transportation demand management program that is part of the design and will be maintained, we will actually have a reduction in vehicle miles travelled overall.\u00a0This is part of the previously mentioned TOD and a great example of implementing SANDAG\u2019s smart growth model.<\/p>\n \u201cIn addition, it should be noted that we are paying over $3 million in traffic mitigation fees and\/or improvements toward offsite roadways or intersections, throughout Mission Valley.\u00a0Some of these areas include other portions of Camino de la Reina as well as both Hotel Circle North and South,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Another goal of the project is to be as \u201cgreen\u201d as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are striving for a LEED Gold project,\u201d Semic said.\u00a0\u201cThis would be accomplished through water efficiency, use of sustainable materials and resources, solar panels, indoor environmental quality management, stormwater reuse, reuse of existing building materials during demolition, and management of proposed construction waste.\u201d<\/p>\n Construction could start as early as next summer and would likely be complete by the end of 2018.\u00a0The Casey Brown Co. has purchased the land and begun preliminary work, Semic said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is worth noting the Casey Brown Co. has already started updating exterior portions of the existing buildings,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/a>