Community Benefits
1 Outdoor Public Spaces
More than 30 acres—70 percent of the project—is dedicated to public space, featuring:
- Open space for public access, gathering areas, art exhibitions, concerts and other community events
- Promenades and pedestrian-oriented streets throughout the site
- A main plaza
- A park leading to the bay with access to the water and a larger beach
2 A Downtown Public Market
Public markets have gained popularity around the world and were the way our forefathers used to shop. Seaport San Diego will take lessons from the best in the world and will feature fresh seafood, farm-to-table vendors and local ethnic food vendors.
3 Access to Beaches and Seaside Tidal Pools
San Diego is known for its great beaches and tidepools, which have previously been disconnected from the downtown experience. Seaport San Diego’s beaches and tidepools will be open to the public 365 days per year.
4 Revitalization of Fishing Industry
Seaport San Diego revitalizes the historic Tuna Harbor and San Diego's Commercial Fishing industry through efficient infrastructure improvements. A sister facility at America's Cup Harbor will include:
- A seafood market
- A fish-processing facility
- New berths for commercial fishing and aquaculture vessels
- A BlueTech incubator facility for water- and ocean-based technology startups
- An aquaculture initiative with Rose Canyon Fisheries
5 Inclusive Lodging for All
Seaport San Diego’s hospitality district will include several types of lodging for the city’s many and diverse tourists:
- A full-service hotel that serves as a welcoming host to the city, featuring a “public living room” outdoor deck
- A micro-hotel with smaller rooms at attractively affordable rates
- A new generation youth hostel for students and adventurers from around the world
6 Art and Lighting for All to Enjoy
Public art is an important part of our design and is envisioned to be an integrated and integral aspect of Seaport San Diego’s sense of place. The lighting of Seaport San Diego is a unique opportunity to recognize the importance of nighttime design in the creation of an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable San Diego. The involvement of Studio Fink opens up the potential for integrating their winning proposal for lighting Coronado Bridge with the Seaport San Diego development to deliver a memorable nighttime experience.
7 Family-Friendly Features & Activities
The design includes features and activities for all generations, from seniors to kids of all ages. Visitors will enjoy the many outdoor public spaces, aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, observation tower, and opportunities for shopping, dining and entertainment. Children will especially enjoy a specially designed Kids’ Zone.
8 Outdoor Exercise, Sports and Recreation Opportunities
Seaport San Diego will promote exercise, health and sports. Our outdoor health and wellness zone completely redesigns the South Embarcadero Marina Park. It will become a Venice Beach-like attraction: a place to work out or people watch and a place for active recreation or quiet meditation. Some of the features include:
- Yoga and tai chi platforms
- Beach volleyball courts
- Outdoor workout equipment
- Stationary cycling platforms
- Kayak and stand-up paddleboard rental and launch facilities
- Deck chairs for sitting and relaxing on the new sand beaches after a tough workout
- A building that will become a “base camp,” accommodating space for equipment rental, day lockers and juice and health food bar as well as a deck for relaxing and people watching
9 Expanded Dockage for Boating
Seaport San Diego adds significant dockage opportunities for boats of all types and sizes. Additionally, a berthing facility will be created for mega-yachts. Currently, there is no place for mega-yachts to dock in San Diego. These mega-yachts, which can reach lengths of 590 feet and are a visual experience all their own, will now have a welcoming and exciting place to berth in San Diego.
10 A Center for Lifelong Learning
Seaport San Diego’s lifelong learning center will be melded into our hospitality district. It will house a continuing education center focused on marine sciences, maritime logistics and music. Students young and old will be a regular part of the crowds, enlivening the paseos and plazas of Seaport San Diego.UC San Diego and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography have helped develop plans for Seaport San Diego’s aquarium and its 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.
11 An Affordable Local Destination
Seaport San Diego will be a place for everyone. Adults, teenagers and children will all enjoy strolling through the paseos and plazas to people watch, enjoy local cuisine, visit attractions, lounge at the beach, work out, or splurge on a shopping spree.
12 Creating a Home on the Waterfront for Our Guests
Every great city has a place for visitors to go to understand what it's about, learn its history and discover things to do. We envision a state-of-the-art interactive district where San Diegans will be proud to take visiting family and friends to show them what our great city offers.
13 Access to Adjacent Symphony Location
We are proposing to construct a pedestrian “draw bridge” to create seamless accessibility to the Symphony’s planned outdoor facility. This will provide better access to the facility and remove “dead ends,” thereby improving public circulation along the waterfront.
15 Reconnection to the City Grid
In the past, the bay has been walled off from the city with block developments that obstruct access to our waterfront. Seaport San Diego has replicated and continued the city grid onto the waterfront with extensions of Pacific Coast Highway and Kettner Boulevard. In addition, pedestrian-friendly cross streets add access and interesting places for exploration, thereby enhancing the urban experience on the bay.
15 Community Partnerships and Engagement
We see ourselves as community stewards, creating a great place for all San Diegans. As such, engagement and partnerships are part of our process and culture. The Seaport San Diego team has reached out to establish partnerships with numerous community organizations, including:
- Port of San Diego
- Charter schools
- UC San Diego
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- San Diego Symphony
- San Diego Tourism Authority
- Labor groups
- Commercial fishing interests
- Downtown resident groups
- Existing Seaport Village tenants
16 Long-Term Financial Viability
The economic model that is proposed is unique for San Diego’s bayfront -and perhaps for waterfronts in general. At its core is a partnership of invested uses that are fully integrated to harmonize and support each other so as to be successful as a whole.This approach is atypical. Generally, a multitude of individual lessees or tenants (commonly referred to as “pads”) are contracted by a developer's brokers, who then add their markup. In contrast, Seaport San Diego is comprised of invested operators who share in the success of the project, at both operating and top-levels. We believe this approach will provide the foundation for Seaport San Diego to achieve its vision and goals, as well as align the interests of all stakeholders.
17 Security
Using state-of-the-art security practices, innovative design and technology, as well as well-managed, well-planned activities and operations, Seaport San Diego will address the new and growing threat that faces all high-profile public gathering spots.
18 Enhanced Accessibility for All
We are committed and passionate about designing and building Seaport San Diego to be accessible to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability or status in life. By incorporating the elements of Universal Design, we will go beyond minimum ADA accessibility codes and standards, making Seaport San Diego the model to be emulated by other similar projects around the world.
19 Mobility and Parking Improvements
As part of our design vision, we have focused on enhancing mobility and parking. All parking has been accommodated in a well-designed, well-lit underground structure. Besides the ubiquitous car, our design anticipates inclusion of the following modes of mobility to and from the site:
- Big Bay Shuttle
- Trolley
- Internal “elephant train” shuttle
- Water ferry and water taxi
- Ride sharing
- Bike sharing and bicycle parking We are also offering to fund a feasibility study to determine if the 6th Street Skyway could be extended to create a loop servicing the entire waterfront and airport.
20 Sustainability and Resiliency
Seaport San Diego will respond to the twenty-first century’s demand for resilience and sustainability with the following:
- Wetlands restoration
- A reduced carbon footprint
- LEED-design compliance
- Design conscious of anticipated sea level rise
- The latest solar power generation with on-site cogeneration technologies
- A centralized heating and cooling system that will use ocean water to provide the heat transfer mechanism
21 Relocation of Existing Tenants
We are sensitive to the needs and concerns of the existing tenants of Seaport Village. Many are family-owned small businesses that have labored tirelessly to build their brand and livelihood serving San Diego. We are committed to working with them to reduce the disruptive relocation that will be necessitated by this new district. We propose to accomplish this by a carefully planned logistical schedule that allows those tenants who wish to stay on in the new Seaport to stay in place in existing buildings and new “pop-up” venues. Once their new home in Seaport San Diego is complete, they will be welcome to move into their new storefront.