The PlaceSeaport San Diego will offer visitors world‐class recreational, commercial, cultural and educational attractions, while incorporating the rich aquatic heritage and industry of the region. It is an extraordinary opportunity to thoughtfully establish a global centerpiece in the heart of our city. We have shaped our plan for this 70-acre site with the waterfront as the focal point to encourage local, national and international tourism by creating a diverse district to encourage reconnection with the sea and with each other.
Most importantly, the new Seaport San Diego will offer visitors the simple pleasures of sitting on a beach, sipping coffee at a park or plaza, or strolling along the water’s edge. Added to this, you will find anchor attractions and breathtaking views of downtown and the bay. |
Seaport San Diego will be an interactive hub, a special destination featuring:
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Parks, Plazas and Public SpaceCreating Spaces for Everyone to Enjoy
More than 70 percent of the project is dedicated to public park space. Promenades and Big Bay Experience reimagine Kettner Boulevard as a gateway to the city. Pedestrian-oriented streets are located throughout the site. Additional features include a plaza and a park leading to the bay. With projects of this scale, it is vital to create social places that have meaning for all residents. And the hallmark with access to the water and a larger beach. A critical component of Seaport San Diego is to blend its multi-faceted placemaking, which will surface organically and from blending parks with charter schools, plazas, pathways, the water’s edge, an aquarium, marine research, health and fitness, social engagement and environmental awareness for a genuine San Diego urban experience. As an extension of our vision, we are proposing a pedestrian bridge to connect Seaport San Diego with the future outdoor San Diego Symphony facility for cultural synergy and seamless enjoyment of a public market, the marina, and more.
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Beaches and Seaside Tidal PoolsConnecting People to the Water's Edge
San Diego is known for its great beaches and tidepools, which have been missing from the downtown experience. It’s about time that the next generation of downtown dwellers and visitors get to dip their toes in the sand and search for sea treasures. Seaport San Diego’s beaches, including a signature urban beach and tidepools, will be open to the public 365 days a year. They will set the stage for playful interactive experiences accessible to all, creating memories that will last a lifetime.
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Expanded Esplanade
Boardwalk Over the Water
Seaport San Diego is breathing new life into the esplanade, the half-mile long community pathway situated on the water’s edge, so pedestrians, bicyclists and sightseers can take in the incredible bay views. In our plan, we will be adding a 15-foot wide, wood-surfaced walkway and seating area that will cantilever over the existing rock-covered retaining wall, expanding the open space along the bay. Dotted with modern driftwood-inspired seating, the esplanade will become a new community hub.
Kids ZoneA Special place for the Little Ones
One of the great things about Seaport is it offers something for everyone, and that includes the little ones. Our Kids Zone will be a place just for them. While sipping a latte or a smoothie, parents and grandparents will watch their children and grandchildren play, dance, sing, jump, splash, explore and create in Seaport San Diego’s Kids Zone. Friendships will be strengthened and forged, and imaginations will be set free.
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Public MarketFoodie Hangout
Our forefathers used to shop at public markets, and they have re-emerged as popular destinations around the world. Ours will take lessons from the best in the world—from Seattle and San Francisco to Toronto and Paris—and will feature the finest fresh seafood and farm-to-table vendors from San Diego’s award-winning farms, as well as local ethnic food purveyors. There will also be whimsical artisan offerings inspired by Brooklyn’s Smorgasbord market—think ramen burgers, stylized donuts and coffee slushies. A great public market is about more than buying food — it’s about striking up conversations, exchanging information, feeling part of a community and actively contributing to it.
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Dining & EntertainmentCreating a Stunning and Vibrant Urban District
Interwoven through each part of Seaport San Diego will be places to play, reboot, celebrate or simply watch the world go by. It will be open 365 days a year for tourists and downtown residents alike to enjoy as part of their daily rhythm. Both programmed entertainment and spontaneous events will enliven the promenades, and the Market Landing Alley will buzz with energy, street artists and weekly sunset concerts. Attractions will include a next-level cinema and a high-tempo fish market (à la Pike Place Market in Seattle) as well as dining experiences along the harbor. Connectivity is the cornerstone here: dock-and-dine facilities will link to a pocket beach, and Ruocco Park will be the place to enjoy picnics on movie nights or anytime as the free-form grandstand to observe all the action.
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ShoppingThe Thread that Knits is All Together
Seaport San Diego’s retail will be a distinctive network of social amenities and engaging spaces that will hum whether stores are open or closed. Planned operation hours are from 10 a.m. to midnight, with some businesses expected to open earlier for breakfast. The Seaport San Diego team will handpick operators to ensure that curated restaurant and shopping experiences appeal to San Diegans and our guests. On both the shopping and foodie front, offerings will also be available in every price range—from new-wave fast food to next-level fine dining. There will be local vendor kiosks, monthly artisan markets, participatory chef events, local beer gardens and al fresco food fairs, as well as public seasonal celebrations and holiday marketplaces like those found in Europe.
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Hospitality
Inclusive Lodging for All
A variety of lodging experiences, including a hostel and potentially a 5-star hotel, will appeal to all cross sections of travelers, convention-goers and families. Notably, all our brand partners will be proven companies, who will bring fresh concepts to San Diego’s waterfront.
Aquarium
Celebrating Nature and Ecology
OdySea San Diego will be a 150,000-sq.-ft., 1.5 million-gallon, deep-sea diving experience with more than 25,000 fish. It will feature multiple world ocean and freshwater habitats. The showstopper is the multi-level, subterranean aquarium designed by BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), one of the world’s most exciting young architecture firms, whose founder was recently named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. The architecture will extend into a public park, where visitors can become immersed in education and aquatic life without paying to enter the aquarium. The Aquarium’s sustainable design will be a distinctive new landmark notable both for its eco-consciousness and its visually stunning architecture. Once inside, OdySea will create the first-ever aqua lobby with suspended aquariums, a living sea carousel, an underwater experience with certified divers, high-tech touch screen tanks, a 4-D movie theater, a playful South African penguin park, a unique transportation system that includes an underwater escalator, as well as see-through slides spiraling through the shark exhibit.
Education
A Center for Lifelong Learning
Thriving urban centers need full access to quality education, so Seaport San Diego is proud of its lifelong learning center. The learning center is a collaborative model with a mission to advance both student and adult learning. The school’s disciplines will tie in with regional specialties: marine sciences, maritime logistics and a music partnership with the San Diego Symphony. UC San Diego and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have helped develop plans for the aquarium and the marine-focused learning center as advisors to Seaport San Diego. The advisors include Margaret Leinen, Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences at UC San Diego and Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Harry Helling, Executive Director of the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “UC San Diego is excited to be an advisor on this transformational project coming to San Diego’s waterfront,” Leinen said. “Through Birch Aquarium at Scripps, UC San Diego will serve as an advisor and intends to provide input on the planning, design and development for the San Diego Aquarium. At the Seaport San Diego Learning Center, Scripps intends to operate the center, bringing our world-renowned research and teaching experience to a wider audience. The vision is to create meaningful, authentic experiences that focus on ocean optimism – the idea that there are solutions to our planet’s greatest environmental challenges.”
Butterfly Wonderland
Bringing a Tropical Rainforest to the Waterfront
Another highlight will be a transformative Butterfly Wonderland. This one-of-a-kind facility will recreate a tropical rainforest habitat where thousands of butterflies from around the world will fly freely. It will include a state-of-the-art theater for viewing 3D immersive nature experiences. Through a 20-foot-high window, patrons get a chance to peek into this world, witnessing one of nature’s great wonders as butterflies emerge from their cocoons.
Observation Tower
A New Icon for San Diego
A New Icon for San DiegoJust as London has its Eye—a top attraction in the United Kingdom with over 3.75 million visitors annually—Seaport San Diego’s Observation Tower will serve as an architectural icon and a breathtaking experience, allowing visitors to view San Diego in a new, educational way, providing visitors with 360-degree views—panoramas presently enjoyed only by elite high-rise owners and hotel guests. The 500-foot observation deck will not only become a stunning focal point for San Diego’s skyline, but also a must-do on the quintessential Southern California itinerary.
Waterside PlanThis is What Makes the Site Special
Honoring the water is the core principle that has driven Seaport San Diego’s vision from the outset. Our plan creates places for San Diegans and visitors to interact with the water in a variety of ways. The public will be able to swim or launch kayaks and paddle boards from new beaches. Seaport San Diego's newly designed marinas will have slips for recreational boating, sports fishing, and historic vessels. While a myriad of Seaport San Diego features look to the future and harness technology, history is also honored at every turn, including at a refurbished Tuna Harbor where Seaport San Diego aims to revitalize our legendary fishing industry, recreating a maritime culture that will be more tangible and accessible. Juxtaposing Tuna Harbor's historic commercial fishing fleet with new industries, such as aquaculture and blue technology, embraces a vibrant working waterfront theme important to San Diego.
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Commercial FishingRevitalizing the Historic Tuna Harbor
San Diego has always depended and thrived on its interaction with the ocean and bay. For decades, fishing has been a vital source of food, jobs, and recreation to the region. Seaport San Diego embraces the working waterfront. Our plans will revitalize the historic Tuna Harbor and San Diego's Commercial Fishing industry through efficient infrastructure improvements. Plans for a sister facility at America's Cup Harbor include a fish-processing facility, new berths for commercial fishing and aquaculture vessels, a BlueTech incubator facility and a seafood market. The goal is to help local fishermen thrive and also fulfill the public’s growing demand for local, fresh and sustainably harvested seafood.
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BoatingProviding a Convenient, Fun and Comfortable Sailing Destination
San Diego has always been a premier seaside city ideal for sailing. Our plan adds significant dockage opportunities for boats of all types and sizes to tie up and spend a few days or weeks enjoying America’s Finest City. Additionally, a berthing facility will be created for mega-yachts, which can reach lengths of 590 feet and are a visual experience all their own. These mega-yachts, usually seen in hotspots like St. Tropez and Miami Beach, will now have a welcoming and exciting place to berth in San Diego.
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Outdoor Exercise, Sports and RecreationHealth and Wellness Zone
Considering San Diego’s ballyhooed fit lifestyle, health and wellness zones will be reborn at South Embarcadero Marina Park, unfolding throughout a Wellness Park. Like Venice Beach, an open-air gym will feature workout equipment, stationary bikes and platforms for yoga and tai chi, as well as beach volleyball courts, a rubberized track and parkour course. A stand-out feature is an Olympic-size, freshwater lap pool. In addition, rental sites will offer kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and family-friendly paddleboats. Lounge areas on new sandy beaches are perfect for chilling post-workout. A high-energy activity center/base camp will house day lockers, a healthy food and juice bar and a sprawling deck for relaxing and people watching. This will also be the central hub for bike sharing and class meet-ups.
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MobilityThinking into the Future
As downtown's population grows from 35,000 today to as many as 90,000 residents by 2040, parking becomes a growing problem. We need more options. Because of its central location, Seaport San Diego will encourage public transportation, including trollies, water ferries and the proposed 6th Avenue Skyway. Our design also taps into San Diego’s proposed mobility plan, connecting to the existing and future pedestrian network in the surrounding area, as well as providing efficient means for tourists to get to and from the airport or downtown. The preferred and easiest way to get to Seaport San Diego is by foot, bike, trolley, boat, ridesharing, Skyway or walking from other nearby parking areas. Seaport San Diego will also provide ample bike parking.
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LightingA Choreographed Nighttime Experience
Seaport San Diego’s sunny vitality transforms at nighttime when kinetic public art will create iconic moments that are economic, environmental and accessible. Patterns of color and light will be choreographed throughout Seaport San Diego with the iconic tower, the aquarium and park seating — and the planned future Coronado Bridge lighting. Seaport San Diego has teamed up with the winner of the much-publicized international Coronado Bridge lighting contest, Studio Fink, to design a nighttime destination of regional, national and international significance.
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Sustainability and ResiliencyRespecting Our Environment
Zero net energy and resiliency will be part of Seaport San Diego’s DNA. Seaport San Diego’s design will consciously reduce the project’s carbon footprint, and in addition to wetlands restoration, Seaport San Diego’s architecture will follow Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) design guidelines. It will plan for expected sea-level rise, utilize the latest generation of solar power with cogeneration technologies, and enlist a centralized heating and cooling system that will repurpose ocean water.
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SecuritySafety First
In addition to a highly trained boots-on-the-ground security team, Seaport San Diego will use state-of-the-art real-time video to keep people safe. Its design incorporates Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, using both natural features and intentional physical design of sightlines to enhance security–supplying law enforcement with a tool to better monitor public spaces.
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