The former Naval Training Center (NTC) site now known as Liberty Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of its individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego.
Liberty Station’s multifaceted retail and commercial district is divided into five sections: The Marketplace, Ocean Village, NTC Landing, Harbor Square and Fitness Club.
Anchor tenants of the retail and commercial districts include Vons, Trader Joe’s and Ace Hardware. There are several dozen restaurants, including several Starbucks coffee shops, and a variety of retail shops. In May 2013, Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens opened on Historic Decatur Road.
Several of the retail establishments, including Vons and Stone Brewing, are built inside historic structures from Naval Training Center days. The Vons store occupies two separate buildings, formerly barracks, separated by an open courtyard. Stone Brewing incorporates multiple buildings, including the former mess hall.
The NTC Promenade is a group of historic buildings being renovated for the display of arts, science, culture and technology.
The educational district of Liberty Station consists of High Tech Village, a group of public charter schools collectively known as High Tech High. The campus includes five high schools, two middle schools and one elementary school.
The residential district of Liberty Station has two main sections, one for military housing and the other a residential community developed by the McMillin Corporation. The military housing area includes 500 units, mostly townhomes, and also features children’s playgrounds and sports facilities. The exterior of the housing is in a Spanish architectural style in keeping with traditional San Diego. The civilian residential community includes townhomes, rowhomes and single-family houses.
The hotel district of Liberty Station is designated for several hotels, currently including a Homewood Suites by Hilton and a Courtyard by Marriott. A large resort hotel by Nickelodeon is in the works.
The office district is a collection of newly built office buildings whose architecture reflects the Spanish Colonial Revival style of the original NTC buildings.
The Rock Church, a nondenominational, evangelical Christian mega-church, was constructed in 2005 and opened in 2007. The building houses new Christian education facilities, office space and a 3,500-seat worship center, making it one of the largest auditoriums in Southern California.
The church currently averages 12,000 in attendance per week, making it the largest church in San Diego. The Rock Church occupies the site of the former Technical Training Center at Service School Command San Diego.
