User:ArvinAceAttorney/East Village, San Diego

Urban Renewal
In the latter part of the 20th century the East Village became known for its vacant buildings, dive-bars, and eclectic dwellings of artists. Prostitutes, drug addicts, and homeless people were common. The neighborhood rapidly gentrified after the opening of Petco Park in 2004, becoming home to many upscale restaurants and trendy shops. It is still impacted by high rates of homelessness. The neighborhood is now a hub of construction including condominium projects and other public spaces, including the recently completed Central Library. The $185 million project, designed by architect Rob Quigley, officially opened September 30, 2013.

I.D.E.A. District
In 2011, developers David Malmuth and Pete Garcia, revealed a concept for new, innovative development within East Village with a focus on innovation, design, education, and the arts. These four points would serve as the acronym for this proposed district, the I.D.E.A. District. Within East Village, about 38 city blocks were encompassed within the plan. Planned development for the area included 3 million square feet of office and studio space, 600,000 square feet of commercial retail and restaurants, and 2,200 new apartments. The main focus of the project revolved around innovating and creating new tech jobs for the area while being a cutting-edge urban development for the workforce of tomorrow. The first project in this proposal was known as IDEA1, an apartment complex which opened in 2017 to kickstart the project. Another recent opening within the I.D.E.A. District was in May 202 with UC San Diego's Park & Market. It will serve as a "social and intellectual hub for civic engagement, learning and collaboration."

East Village Quarter
Tailgate Park, a city-owned 5.25 acre lot one block away from Petco Park, was sold and cleared for development in a vote by City Council in April 2022. This lot was mostly parking spaces for Petco Park which was just one block east of the area, but the new proposed development would include: "1,800 apartments, 50,000 square feet of retail and office space and a public park." 270 of those residential units are also going to be reserved for low and middle income San Diego residents. The projected budget for this new development is $1.5 billion.

The new development was originally formulated in September 2020 when a group of developing firms led by the Padres were chosen by city officials to redevelop the area after it was originally put up for sale in December 2019.

This proposed development has been under backlash however, with a lawsuit against the city filed by the advocacy group, Project For Open Government, in May 2022 on the grounds of the deal not following the California Environmental Quality Act, the lot being sold for less than fair-market value, and failing to hold a public hearing of the city planning commission. Hearings have not been scheduled and the case is still ongoing.