A recent revamp enhances the Downtown skyline and more

By Dave Fidlin

After an extensive remodel that spanned two years to complete, the wraps were recently taken off of San Diego Square, a 156-unit apartment complex located Downtown and geared toward seniors in need of affordable housing.

However, the sprucing up of that 12-story building on Ninth Avenue only tells half of the story.

Officials from several local agencies have been touting a long-term agreement that ensures the site will remain a spot for low-income housing for more than half a century.

Before a glee-filled ribbon-cutting ceremony took place in mid-April, to commemorate the official reopening of San Diego Square to its existing elderly tenants, there were a number of moving pieces that were necessary to guarantee the development’s long-term viability.

The San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC) and its nonprofit affiliate, Housing Development Partnership, purchased San Diego Square in 2014 from a local entity, the Kind Corp. As part of that deal, the city of San Diego received a one-time lease payment in the amount of $4 million.

One of the more notable aspects of the purchase price and the agreement between SDHC and the city is its duration. A clause in the document specifies San Diego Square must offer what has been described as “affordable” rents for the next 55 years. The terminology puts weight on San Diego’s overall median income.

Michael Pavco, vice president of SDHC’s real estate division, said talks of taking oversight of San Diego Square began in 2012, when officials within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approached the agency.

“We had been asked to participate in San Diego Square’s next chapter,” said Pavco, who described himself as being “heavily involved” in the overhaul during a recent interview with Downtown News. “There was some financial restructuring that occurred as we set the next course.”

The San Diego chapter of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation, more commonly referred to as LISC, stepped in to provide a $7.9 million loan to SDHC. The funds, in turn, helped shepherd forward both the acquisition of the property and its subsequent remodel.

In a statement, Edward Lopez, executive director of LISC San Diego, laid out the reasons why his organization wanted to partner with SDHC and make certain the property remained a spot for seniors with low incomes.

“As recent studies have shown, San Diego County remains a very expensive place to live, and maintaining San Diego Square as an affordable housing complex is a huge win for the city,” Lopez said.

With long-term objectives in place, SDHC and its nonprofit partner have set in motion a tiered plan for eligibility requirements now that the property has reopened its doors.

Seventy-eight percent, or 122 of San Diego Square’s 156 units, are being reserved for persons aged 62 and up with annual incomes in the ballpark of $40,800. The remaining 34 units have been designated for seniors with incomes of approximately $34,000 per year.

As for the modifications to San Diego Square, Pavco said the project entailed “a complete, top-to-bottom renovation.”

Reflecting the period it was constructed in during the late 1970s, San Diego Square had a heavy, brown-colored motif and offered minimal interior lighting.

That scheme was turned on its head, Pavco said, as construction crews revamped the exterior with a new bright-colored façade and added windows to each apartment unit.

“There’s been an intention to blend in with the fabric of the neighborhood in the East Village,” Pavco said. “Part of that involved floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a lot of painting.”

As part of the remodel, each unit received new cabinets, countertops and other amenities. Crews also touched up areas such as the building’s pool and recreation areas.

Pavco conceded that the new long-term contract at San Diego Square is merely a drop in the bucket in addressing the city’s needs regarding affordable housing. But the steps to bringing it to fruition, he said, provide a desired blueprint for future efforts.

“There were a number of agencies involved in this, and we all worked together,” he said. “It’s been a great collaboration.”

San Diego Square is not the only Downtown-based affordable-housing facility. Others include such nearby properties as the Celadon, at Ninth Avenue and Broadway, and Hotel Churchill, at Ninth Avenue and C Street. The latter, also under the auspices of SDHC, is undergoing a renovation similar to the one completed at San Diego Square.

San Diego Square is located at 1055 Ninth Ave., in East Village. Its Broadway boundary between Ninth and Tenth avenues makes it close to all the region’s freeways as well as bus and trolley lines. To learn more about the development, visit tinyurl.com/zr7e8af.

For more details on the SDHC, visit the organization’s website at sdhc.org.

—Dave Fidlin is a freelance journalist with a special affinity for San Diego and its people. Contact him at [email protected].