E A

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L
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L A
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S
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East Village South

Focus Plan

I.D.E.A.
District

The East Village Neighborhoods

Post
Ofce

Ball
Park

East
Village
South

Barrio Logan

Sherman Heights

INTRODUCTION
With the adoption of the Downtown Community Plan in 2006 it was
determined that each designated downtown neighborhood would create a
finer-grain plan, in the form of a Focus Plan, to make certain future
development would honor the Community Plan and enhance the unique
personality of each district. For several reasons, including the economic
downturn and the elimination of CCDC, the Focus Plans for the four East
Village quadrants were not completed.
In fall of 2015 a group of East Village residents, business, academic and
community leaders and land owners discussed the need for a Focus Plan
for the southeast quadrant as new development started rapidly taking
shape throughout East Village. At this point in the communitys (and
downtowns) revitalization, several things became clear:
Due to successful residential development throughout the late 1990s and
early 2000s 34,550(1) people now call downtown home. This population is
projected to grow exponentially more than(108% from 2012 2050)(2).
Open space, parks and civic amenities have not kept pace with a growing
population.
Home to City College, East Village added a significant number of
educational institutions from 2005 2015 including elementary, high
school, university and post-graduate schools and programs. At the same
time City College has been aggressively expanding its campus and
offerings.
Job growth has not kept pace with residential development. Close to 70%
of downtown residents(3) commute from downtown to suburban
employment centers.
The success of Petco Ballpark as a catalyst for growth has been realized.
Development has filled in and around the Ballpark and is now aggressively
heading east, transforming the less developed part of East Village.
At the same time Barrio Logan to the south had seen significant
redevelopment. Now is the optimal time to link underserved neighborhoods
to the south to the urban core.
East Village is at a cross roads. If development follows the approved
Community Plan and continues on its current course, East Village has the
opportunity to be realized as a true urban neighborhood. A neighborhood
in which people dont just reside, but can walk to work and sustains a rich
offering of entertainment, shopping, dining and recreation.

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

As the Focus Plan was being prepared two overarching issues were
recognized.

1. Public Participation
We understand that any ambitious plan or vision must include a broad
coalition of participation from both the public and private sectors. For
example, the growth of the bio-tech and bio-pharmaceutical industries in
San Diego is a direct result of then Mayor Pete Wilsons leadership in using
city land to incubate research-based businesses that emanated from
UCSD(4).
It took private business, venture capital, real estate
development, public investment and leadership for this success to be
realized.

For many reasons including demographic and social trends, concerns

about creating sustainable communities, and generational preferences, the
frontiers of the new economy are growing in the urban fabric of cities. A lot
of investment has been already made in revitalizing downtown San Diego.
We suggest that for downtown to achieve the jobs-housing balance
originally envisioned, progress will require all stakeholders at the table.

We hope that by providing this Focus Plan, we can add further fuel to the
conversation.

2. Timing
In the workshops, as well as one-on-one meetings, people have voiced
their concerns about whether something like an innovation district could be
realized without a major San Diego university or tech-oriented business
making a significant commitment to anchor the district. They are
concerned, and rightly so, that without investment on the part of the city or
a major institution the full potential of the neighborhood, and indeed the
downtown area will never occur.

We believe that between development already occurring, especially in

IDEA District, the number of business start-ups in downtown, and the
demographic make-up of downtown residents, that with the right focus and
commitment, an emerging jobs-cluster can be realized more quickly than
anyone anticipates. To put it into perspective, with the right incentives and
investment downtowns population grew 97% since the year 2000.(5)

Last year, the Downtown San Diego Partnership commissioned UC San

Diego Extension to conduct demographic and economic study of
downtown San Diego. In the studys conclusion it states that Downtown
San Diego is one of the few major cities in America, and California, where
there is still the potential to further expand a dynamic and a uniquely
inclusive innovation economy. It specifically highlights the Available,
developable land downtown, particularly in the East Villagecontiguous to
a number of diverse neighborhoods with developable land, including Barrio
Logan, Golden Hill and the Diamond District(6) as one of four primary
reasons downtown is ripe for this effort.

The study in its entirety can be found at:

http://www.downtownsandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/DSDP-De
mographic-Study-2016.pdf

F.I.D.M.

11th

Law
School

Central
Library

720

Transit

208

Z o n e
F a u l t

201

14th

313

Parking
Lot

63

Fault
Park

320

El Nudillo

472

484

10
90

368

15th

Bus Yards

Wonder Bread

13

Father Joes

Future
Park

Barrio
Logan

Sherman
Heights

East
Village
South

Obelisk/Art

14th St. Promenade

Academic

Historic or
Potentially Historic

Under Construction
or Permitted

East Village South

Parking Lot and Bus

Yards

Transit Station

iconic dome view

07.26.2016

OVERVIEW:
A. Focus Plan Goal
This plan is a neighborhood-centric overlay that is intended to
encourage a unique identity for the East Village South
neighborhood.
It is intended as a framework for discussion on the continuing
development of East village.
The implementation of this Focus Plan will enhance the general
quality of life and give guidance on critical issues, such as
connecting to adjacent communities and effectively using the bus
yard/ tailgate parking lot sites.

B. Consistency with Master Plan

This Focus Plan is designed to be compatible with and provide
implementation guidance for the Downtown Community Plan.
The recommendations of the Focus Plan are consistent with the
recently adopted Downtown Mobility Plan.

C. Adoption Process
The plan was created by a diverse group of community activists
working with the larger East Village community through a series
of well documented public workshops (see reports in appendix).
Volunteer architects and planners refined the community input into
this Focus Plan outline. This document is no more than a framework for implementing the community vision and will need to be
vetted and completed by professional planners at Civic San Diego
through a public process. Like the other downtown Focus Plans,
the final document will then need to be approved and formally
adopted by the City Council.

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

VISION:
An exciting vision of the East Village South neighborhood emerged
from two public workshops involving over 300 people. Common
themes:
Diversity
Connection
Honor history (both structures and social history)
Sustainable
Equitable
Open (as in open space)
Participants widely agreed that the following elements represent the
vision for the plan:
Make strong and vibrant connections to the Barrio and Sherman
Heights. The 14th Street Promenade and freeway cover and street
grid are sacred cows and must not be sacrificed.
Address jobs. Connect the people currently living in East Village
and downtown with the type of jobs they seek high-paying jobs in
the innovation, design and technology sectors. For example, an
innovation district anchored by an academic complex which
Connects business to academic institutions. And, connects people
to jobs.
The 14th Street Promenade Green Street is our Main Street and
primary North/South connector. It should extend all the way to
Chicano Park and thread northward through City College to Balboa
Park.
Build on the unique East Village Academic Armature already in
place.
Create a memorable and major public open space or series of
open spaces to anchor an innovation district. Pocket parks and/or
green spaces must punctuate the neighborhood.
Create Freeway Cap Park and cover the freeway as per the
Community Plan.
The Focus Plan should be authentic and unique to East Village.
Embrace the urban lifestyle and promote diversity.
Respect fine grain development and the urban street grid. More
Wonder Bread type development. This includes breaking down the
existing super blocks by replacing missing streets.
6

Create affordable housing and affordable small business places.

Make a strong urban statement at the knuckle where 14th turns in
to Logan Avenue (This could be an obelisk or major art piece
authored by Barrio artists.)
Find a way to embrace the homeless issue. Dont separate Father
Joe. Or push the homeless into adjacent neighborhoods.
Reduce special event noise.
More art throughout East Village.
Celebrate the historic African American heritage of the area.
Develop the area as a 24-hour neighborhood to include office,
academic, commercial and residential uses.
Partner with the military for high-tech training or related vocational
training.
It was agreed that giant, monolithic buildings like a stadium are not
conducive to this vision. These types of structures are at direct odds
with the desire for connections, keeping the community porous,
ensuring view corridors are intact and making the neighborhood
livable and family-friendly.

Childrens
Museum

Ba

Gaslamp

Balboa Park

S.D.High
City Collage

E a s t

V i l l a g e

S o u t h

The Sacred
Cows
14th Street
Promenade

Sherman
Heights Cover

Sherman Heights

Barrio
Chicano Park

14th St
Promenade

Central
Court

North Garden

Central
Library

Green

Wonder
Bread

El Nudillo

Community
Gardens on Roof

Academic
Recreation
on Fault

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
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Wonder
Bread

Community Gardens

Proposed View From Central Library To The Historic Wonder Bread Building
8

GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The core of this plan builds on the public input above and includes the
Six Guiding Principles:
1. Define A Unique Neighborhood
The goal is to make the neighborhood memorable and engaging.
Distinct physical cues and design elements will give the community a
unique identity and distinguish it from other downtown neighborhoods.
These can be predictable, like paving patterns and building materials,
or unexpected and idiosyncratic, like a neighborhood shrub or a
mandated wainscot on utility infrastructure.
It is equally important to capitalize on the existing distinctive
attributes of the area. East Village South has nine academic
institutions with more anticipated in the near future. It is also home to
many small start-up companies. This area, with its share of warehouse
structures and developable blocks is recognized as ideal for attracting
companies in the high-tech, design and development fields. To realize
success it must be cultivated and supported by public action and
planning directives. If entities are supported, a powerful and exciting
dynamic could energize the entire downtown and region.
The goal is to make the neighborhood memorable and engaging. You
need to know you are in East Village South without signage.
2. Leverage The Academic Vibe
One obvious and powerful idea is to build on and celebrate the
Academic Vibe. Only East Village has nine academic institutions
with more coming.
East Village is one of the major educational clusters in the region. From
elementary schools to high schools, college and post graduate work,
all can be found in East Village. The focus and approach of many of
the curriculums is on the Arts, Design and Innovation and they
complement, and are complemented by, the same activities in the
neighborhood.
3. Encourage & Nurture Employment
Downtowns thrive when there is a robust and synergetic mix of
job-generating uses, combined with residential, retail, public spaces,
cultural attractions, great streets, etc. As stated in the introduction, the
missing piece in downtown San Diego is the jobs engine. With the
recent upsurge in entrepreneurial activity downtown, including 110
start-ups(7), now is the time to intentionally nurture and grow the next
great San Diego companies. It was determined East Village South is
the ideal location because land is available - much of it publicly-owned
- and the innovation ecosystem in Upper East Village is starting to gain
traction.

But matching the type of jobs to the resident profile most attracted to
urban living, will is the real key. Currently downtown San Diego
residents are educated (51% have a Bachelor or an advanced
degree); they are mostly employed in management, business,
science and the arts (55%) and earn an average income of $73,756.
And, contrary to popular wisdom only 17% are single.(8)

Building on the robust education spine in East Village, the workshop

participants indicated a strong desire to add additional higher
education facilities in East Village South, and pair these idea
creators with clean, high-paying technology companies that want to
be near them. The job generation potential of combining these
complimentary users has been dramatically proven on the Torrey
Pines Mesa, and in cities including Boston, Seattle, and San
Francisco.

T he Ac ademic
Ar mature
Opp or tuni ty

C u r r e n t A c a d e mi c I n s t it u t i o n s
E as t Village S out h
Focus Plan Area

Gaslamp

Balboa Park

S.D.High
City Collage

V i l l a g e

S o u t h

E ast Village S out h

School

Community Center

Sherman Heights

Chicano Park

Barrio

Ac ademic Armat ure

Connections

E a s t

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

Primary East-West And North-South Connection

Childrens
Museum

y
Ba

City College

Wonder
Bread

Nine Academic Institutions Throughout East Village

Library

10

I 5 North
View Corridor

Last Blue Water View From Central Library

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

4. Enhance Livability through Public Open Space

As neighborhoods become denser, generous open space becomes
more critical to livability. East Village South will soon be one of
downtowns densest neighborhoods, but has only one mid-sized
park. The 14th Street Promenade Green Street with its widened
sidewalk and enhanced landscaping will serve not only as the major
north/ south connector but also greatly contribute to the public
realm.

As the workshop participants noted, public spaces should adapt to

temporal scale and uses. This means that they can be deliberately
changed to meet the needs of the community; a food truck haven
turns into pop-up work space turns into playground turns into public
art exhibition.

This plan identifies opportunities for the new major new open
spaces desperately needed in this neighborhood.

5. Connect Neighborhoods
Enhancing and creating connections to surrounding neighborhoods
is a top priority and the timing is right.

The 14th Street Promenade, if extended, will play a central role in

connecting Barrio Logan to City College through the East Village
neighborhoods. It is highly desirable to continue the connection
through San Diego High School and to Balboa Park. Island and J
Streets promise to be compelling and walkable east/west connector
streets, but are blocked from connecting to Sherman Heights by
Interstate 5. The Downtown Community Plan identifies that location
for a freeway lid. This cover is an opportunity to create additional
park space as well as affordable housing.

As stated previously, large monolithic developments like a stadium

creates walls rather than connections and are inconsistent with
the principles of both the Focus Plan and the current Downtown
Community Plan.

11

6. Preserve View Corridors

The views down the city streets to the bay and bridge give East
Village a strong character. Walking along 13th Street, 14th Street,
and 15th Street in the afternoon with the buildings in shadow and the
Coronado Bridge alive in the afternoon light is one of the qualities
most cherished in the community. These view corridors must be
protected and enhanced if possible. The Focus Plan retains the 13th
Street and 14th Street views and opens up 15th Street to an
enhanced view of the bridge.

12

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES:
1. Define a Unique Neighborhood
The following ideas are suggestions that came out of the community
workshops and were refined by the professional architectural/planning
team. The participants wanted to include a set of simple, but distinct,
requirements that would help to establish a unique physical identity
and character for the community. Obviously, for that to happen, the
section below differs from some of the design, lighting and signage
standards that apply to downtown as a whole.
Architecture:
Village of Towers: Except for office towers, developers and their
architects are encouraged to create improbably slender towers in this
neighborhood. It might be a fragment of a larger building or a
complete high rise. Contemporary design is encouraged.
Superblocks or single full-block developments by a single architect
and developer are discouraged. While the Downtown Community
Plan also discourages superblock development, they have become
the norm in much of East Village.
Materials:
No reflective glass permitted below the third story. 40% of street level
glass must be low-iron and non-reflective.
Color:
All buildings must be colored at least 80% cream white (apart from
view glass) above the 7th story. Over time, this simple regulation will
give the neighborhood a distinct visual identity even from afar.
Public infrastructure like light poles and transformers should have a
wainscot of colored cream white to a height of 4 feet above grade and
can easily be repainted. Transformers would preferably by located
underground, but should be similarly be painted cream white if they
are street level.
Landscape:
The following items should be unique to the neighborhood and
selected by landscape professionals and approved by the public.
Paving in plazas and pubic areas that is memorable and different
from the rest of downtown
Unique trash cans and benches
A neighborhood Signature Shrub that is encouraged in every
development

Signage:
Free-standing rooftop signs are permitted below 8 stories.
No signage or logos is allowed above 8 stories.
The curved portion of city curbs at intersections is allowed to be
covered with ceramic tile advertising. Proceeds will be donated to
the East Village Association.

Lighting:
Use lighting as a way to further distinguish and differentiate East
Village South from other downtown neighborhoods. A professional
lighting designer should be retained to create a plan to make East
Village South subtly unique at night.
No neon stripes permitted.
No digital billboards or moving images permitted except behind
first story storefront glass.

2. Leverage the Academic Vibe

The East Village is one of the largest educational clusters in our region
and the most academically diverse. Students can attend from
elementary school through specialized post-graduate work.
At the north end of East Village is San Diego High School
Educational Complex, located in a portion of Balboa Park for over
134 years. The school with an enrollment of 3,000 students is
comprised of three schools; School of Business and Leadership,
School of International Studies and School of Science and
Technology.
To the south across Russ Boulevard is San Diego City College, with
an enrollment of over 18,000 students. It is located on a campus
that is continually expanding with new facilities and programs over
$500 million has been invested in the past five years. And with that
expansion City College has physically become even more a part of
East Village.
The Urban Discovery Academy Charter School opened in 2014.
Located at 14th and F Streets has a focus on individual student
support and project-based learning.
The NewSchool of Architecture & Design is located at Park
Boulevard and F Street. NSAD has an enrollment of over 500
students in programs in Architecture, Construction Management,
Interior Architecture, Product Design and Digital Media Arts.
NewSchools architectural program, already one of the nations
largest, will double its enrollment while adding new design-related
programs.
Located at Park Boulevard and Island is the Thomas Jefferson
School of Law. The school, with an enrollment of over 500 law
students, moved to its new facility in East Village several years ago.
At 10th and J Streets is FIDM, the Fashion Institute of Design and
Merchandising. FIDM offers programs in Fashion, Visual Arts, Interior
Design and Entertainment.
At 10th and K Streets is the San Diego Global Knowledge University
[SDGKU]. SDGKU offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in
Global Management, International Management, Communication and
Technology and a Doctor in Business Administration in Global
Management.

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

An educational anchor at the south end of East Village is The

Central Library, completed in 2013. A unique feature of the Central
Library is the E3 Civic High School a public charter secondary
school. The curriculum includes internships and offers two
pre-professional programs; bio-medical health and digital media.
Students graduate with both a high school diploma and a
community college degree.
Academic Connectivity

These educational institutions are all located along an axis that

connects them to each other, to Balboa Park, and the San Diego
Bayfront The John Nolen Parkway [Park Boulevard). This
collection of educational institutions not only promotes collective
support, but is reinforced by the surrounding context of innovative
activity. Adding to this is the potential of a major university locating
an institute focused on Innovation in East Village.

13

14

Library Park Central

Courtyard

Downtown San Diego is poised to be the next frontier of innovation because of

the convergence of basic science and computer science.the reason is simple:
Talent is what drives San Diegos economy, and it always hasand now more
than ever what these tech folks want is an urban environment where they can walk
and bike to work, shops, restaurants and cultural amenities.
San Diego Union-Tribune, op-ed. [April 22, 2016] Mary Walshok, Associate Vice
Chancellor for Public programs at UCSD and Kris Michell, President and CEO of
the Downtown San Diego Partnership

Wonder Bread

3. Encourage and Nurture Employment

Consistent with the goals of the Community Plan and the input from
the community workshops, East Village South is envisioned as an
engine for job creation, both for downtown and the region. Towards
that end, the Focus Plan encourages:

A mix of uses including Academic facilities, creative and tech

office space, retail at the pedestrian level, a variety of residential
products with a wide range of affordability, and hospitality.

Large floor plates appropriate for Academic and Tech office

space could also accommodate convention facilities.

A variety of public gathering spaces that encourage residents of

the area, and surrounding neighborhoods, to collide with one
another (hence spur cross-collaboration and creativity).

Participation from the public sector in order to jump start the

innovation cluster. We cannot stress enough how important public-private partnerships are to realizing this initiative.

Central
Library

El Nudillo

An intimate
roundabout
alive with art.

City College

Library Park

Fault Line Park

Village Green

Nudillo Art Opportunity

City College

Chicano Park

The Green Street

Connection

14th Street
Promenade

Central Library

El Nudillo

Chicano Park

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

4. Enhance Livability through Public Open Space

The downtown community as a whole is woefully short of public open

space compared to other cities. East Village South has only the
recently completed Fault Line Park. The 14th St. Promenade will
help as an activity focus with enhanced landscaping, but generous
and compelling green spaces must be created if the
neighborhood is to support its growth potential.

Several exciting opportunities should be implemented.

As 14th Street turns to the south at Logan Avenue, there is a

perfect opportunity to create a major connection point between
Barrio Logan and the East Village neighborhood. For purposes of
this Focus Plan it has been named this the Nudillo (Spanish for
knuckle) to represent the gateway between the two communities.
It is envisioned as a small traffic roundabout with a major art piece in
the center in the spirit of Tijuana or Mexico City. While it will not likely
have a significant amount of open space available like the freeway
cover (described below), the roundabout can be enhanced to
promote gathering and social interaction. It will become an important
public space and celebrate camaraderie between the two
communities.

The Island Avenue and J Street freeway cover will offer space for
both residential development and public green space. Its location
as a gateway connection between Sherman Heights and East
Village South can provide a threshold moment with a
neighborhood-scaled roundabout to slow traffic, punctuated by a
major art piece in the spirit of the Nudillo to the south.

The wonderful MLK linear park now ends at the Ballpark. It should
be extended along the Commercial Street right-of-way past the
Transit Center and connect to the Nudillo. This will create a green
walking path from the Barrio all the way to the north Embarcadero.
Great cities have great walking connections.

The greatest opportunities for sizable green spaces and green

linkages through city blocks lie in the bus yard and tailgate parking
lot sites. We also know real estate investment and liability is
greatest near parks and open space. Details regarding these
spaces are found in the Land Use section below.

Consistent with the Master Plan, all new public gathering spaces
should be protected from undue shading from high rises in the
winter with sun envelope regulations.

15

16

Bring the Barrio Art

Movement to the
Village.

Obelisks/Art

14th St

Design complete and approved:

14th Street Promenade

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

5. Connect Neighborhoods

Preserving and enhancing the six view corridors is an easy and

effective way to connect neighborhoods.

The Sherman Heights freeway cover is ideally located not just to

create connections, but also to minimize construction costs. The
travel lanes are low enough to allow the building of the cover without
altering the ground plain. Citizen groups are now forming to explore
funding methods to implement the cover. Public open space and
traffic calming should be priorities while income-producing housing
development could help fund the project.

The 14th Street Master Plan establishes the vision for a north/south
linear city park and pedestrian promenade in the heart of east
Village, connecting City Collage to the north and Barrio Logan to the
south. The plan is approved and is awaiting implementation. Details
include:

Expansion of the sidewalk on the east side of 14th Street from 14

feet to a maximum of 32 feet for the entire 11 blocks. The plan
emphasizes walkability and pedestrian safety by providing
amenities such improved sidewalks, new accessible bulbouts and
cross walks.

A variety of seating and tree-shaded areas, public art, and new

lighting will attract social gathering and enhance accessibility during
all day parts.

A significant amount of landscaped bio-swales for the collection

and treatment of storm water runoff from the street, sidewalks and
rooftops. These can be both attractive and sustainable.

Branding and recognition of the three distinct districts of 14th

Street as desired by the community.

The 14th Street Promenade maintains and enhances the street grid,
promotes flexibility of movement, preserves view corridors and
retains the historic scale of the streets. A second design phase
should now be considered to link to the Barrio Logan through the
proposed Nudillo at 14th Street and Logan Avenue. A third phase
would extend the connection to Balboa Park.

17

18

15th Street

With View Corridors

14th Street

Without View Corridors

13th Street

14th Street Promenade Street

View Corridor

6. Preserve View Corridors

The Focus Plan retains the 13th and 14 the Street views while
opening up 15th Street to an enhanced view of the Coronado Bridge.

Additional view corridors concern the new Central Library. This

considerable public investment with its iconic dome has become a
beacon of knowledge and symbol of San Diegos can do spirit. It
was designed in part to welcome citizens from the south. One of the
best views is from I-5 north and the bridge off ramp and is preserved
by the Focus Plan. A new view corridor is established to visually
connect the Barrio Logan to the Central Library. The last remaining
blue water view corridor from the Library Reading Room and upper
terrace is also preserved.

19

20

14th

Library Park

Barrio

Sherman
Heights

An Open Space Anchor

Library

C
Three Plans Studied In The April 2016 Workshop

Library Park

A Dened Outdoor Public Room Energizes Area

Without Creating Edges
Library Park, a Special Opportunity:
The bus yards/Tailgate parking site is the last significant land area available
downtown. As such, it is enormously valuable to the future of the entire region, not
just East Village South, and has received considerable attention in this plan (see
appendix). Key objectives that were identified and articulated in the community
workshops include:
Memorable open space or spaces, an Urban Green Room should anchor the
14th Street Innovation District.
Academic/tech engines with no boundaries
Save the Historic Wonder Bread Building and other historic buildings
No eminent domain
Preserve view corridors down 13th, 14th and 15th Streets to the Coronado Bridge
Preserve Views to the Library from Interstate 5 and the Nudillo
Create a green forecourt for the Central Library
Preserve blue water views from the library reading room
Celebrate the 14th Street Promenade (designated Green Street) as the heart of the
community
Leverage earthquake fault land for play yards for the schools (plan for likely
additional faults under the bus yards)
Place highest density against freeway
Create a reasonable parking capacity
Make 16th Street an art-themed connector to the Barrio
Provide sun access to green areas

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

LAND USE

Land uses are clearly articulated in the Master Plan. This overlay
Focus Plan does not propose rezoning or using eminent domain.

It does however, acknowledges a special land use opportunity in

addressing the two largest underutilized parcels of land remaining in
downtown. The tailgate parking lot and bus yard sites are uniquely
positioned to:

1. Provide significant public open space;

2. Address the lack of employment resources downtown;
3. Significantly enhance the tax base;
4. And, reduce pressure to add density to San Diego suburban
neighborhoods.

As much as 4 million gross square feet of tax-based development

can be added in this zone without blocking any ground level view
corridors down 13th, 14th or 15th Streets to the bridge. Existing view
corridors from and to the new Central Library are also carefully
preserved in the massing envelope.

The area around this site is bustling with redevelopment activity.

Over 3,000 new housing units with supporting retail are permitted or
currently under construction.

This plan does not envision the bus yard/tailgate parking site as a
project developed by a single entity. Instead the natural development fabric of East Village South will be preserved as continuous and
seamless. A major open space, Library Park, will anchor this area
and connect to 16th Street with additional green spaces. New buildings, restricted only by a development envelope, will radiate out from
these public spaces over time and merge with the existing community. The green space can serve a multitude of impromptu public uses:
pick-up sports games, lunchtime retreat, public gatherings, performance music and art, etc.

21

22

13th

Pkg.

14th

15th

Pkg.

Pkg.

16th

Tailgate / Bus Yards Site Plan

Library

I m p e r i a l

Av e .

The Plan

Three options were presented back to the participants in the second

workshop. After much discussion and hands-on debate, scheme
C was selected. It is distinguished by a large public green that
acts as a forecourt for the Central Library and visually connects the
future with our past (Wonder Bread Historic Building with the
Library Dome). It also proposes linking the main green with
additional green rooms so that they connect to 15th Street and
16th Street. 15th Street is seen as green and people oriented, but
kept open to maintain the view corridor. Large buildings are located
closer to the freeway.

Despite the abundant open space, the plan allows for generous
density, about 4 million gross sq. ft. with FARs approaching 6, while
carefully preserving all six view corridors.
It is anchored by
Library Park, a public open space consisting of a series of linked
green rooms connecting surrounding streets and the Central
Library. The park allows the area to have an identifiable center but
not visible edges. New development will define only the park edge
and then merge seamlessly with similar projects across the streets.

Five- to seven-story structures permitted within the view corridors

(pending verification).

The zoning envelope will allow the towers to expand to very large
floor plates if desired below the 7th floor. This creates an informal
plinth at a midlevel height and helps these very large buildings to be
more intimately scaled.

There is no Focus Plan height limit in the tower zones. Zoning

envelopes will define not only the tower opportunities, but also the
Library Park edges.

New construction will be required to design facades to a build to

line to ensure the public space is properly shaped. The Master Plan
already defines facade conditions at the streets.

A three-dimensional zoning envelope will be created for each of

the developable sites to ensure view corridor protection.

Nine new building sites have been identified for new

development. The historic Wonder Bread Building is one of our
finest warehouses and is not only preserved but celebrated. An
open vista across Library Park visually links Wonder Bread with the
library dome, acknowledging both our past and our future.

There are no restrictions on architectural style, although

contemporary architecture with a San Diego orientation is
encouraged.

14th St
Promenade

Central
Court

North Garden

Central
Library

Green

Wonder
Bread

El Nudillo

Community
Gardens on Roof

Academic
Recreation
on Fault

Library Park Open Space with

4 Million Sq.Ft.of Development

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

Wonder Bread

Library Park Green from

Park Blvd and K st.

23

24

Convention Center Expansion

Although the possibility of a convention center expansion was not

proposed by workshop participants, the Downtown Community Plan
does allow for that use on the Tailgate parking site. As long as the
footprint is restricted to the comparable square footage of site
covered by parcels E, F and G and view corridors and open space
are preserved, this use is compatible with the overall Focus Plan
vision. Meeting rooms, social gathering spaces and other resources
could be synergistically shared with nearby academic institutions
and downtown businesses.

Wonder
Bread

Community Gardens

14th St

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

25

26

PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
To ensure a lively variety and human-scaled urban fabric, architects
and/or developers are restricted to one development in the bus
yard/tailgate zone. Well meaning efforts to have a single developer
work with multiple architects in an attempt to artificially create variety
and avoid the project look have not been successful in the past. This
plan advocates a more authentic and reliable implementation method.
To increase parking efficiency and minimize redundant access ramps,
the below-grade parking in both phases is a single garage managed
by an independent entity with entrances as shown on the plan. It is
anticipated that the below grade garage will consist of two levels.
Phase One Implementation:
We suggest that an RFP be issued immediately to retain a single
Master Developer for the tailgate parking lot site. The selected
developer would be responsible for creating below-grade
replacement parking for the Padres and creating adequate parking for
the four developments parcels envisioned in this phase, possibly with
public participation. The Padres replacement parking must adhere to
the current lease agreement. The developer would implement the
relevant portion of Library Park on the podium and develop one of the
parcels if desired. The other three would be sold to other parties.
Alternately the developer might build a convention center expansion
and sell only parcel A.
Phase Two Implementation:
The timing of this subsequent phase depends on moving the bus
yards. With over 3,000 housing units and supporting ground level
retail under construction on nearby and adjacent sites, the market will
shortly make moving the bus yards economically feasible. It has been
estimated that seven years might be required to move them and clean
the site. This may be good timing with regard to Phase One.
Similar to Phase One, a Master Developer would buy the entire site,
select a particular parcel to develop, complete the below-grade
parking and open space infrastructure as soon as possible, and sell
off other parcels to different entities for development.
Unlike Phase One, this phase has a number of large tower sites.
Because of the high rise foundation requirements, the master
developer podium will only include the public areas. Each site will
have a property line and developers will design and build accordingly
while co ordinating their below grade parking levels to enable a
functional common garage.

Although Phase One could (and should) begin tomorrow, the nine
projects on bus yard/tailgate sites will likely take place over several
decades. This is both realistic and desirable. The density
envisioned will need time to absorb into the market. The sequential
implementation by creative individual entities will contribute to the
authenticity of the neighborhood just as the workshop participants
imagined.

F.I.D.M.

11th

Law
School

Central
Library

Transit

Z o n e
F a u l t

14th

15th

Bus Yards
Phase
Two

Fault
Park

Phase
One

Wonder Bread

Father Joes

Parking
Lot

El Nudillo

Future
Park

V i l l a g e

S o u t h

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

E a s t

Sherman
Heights

Tailgate Lot and

Bus yards
Implementation

27

28

Phase One Economic Impact Per Year

$3,367,079

$11,566,040

East Village
Economic
Phase Two Economic Impact Per Year
Impact Per
Year

$30,167,644

Property Tax
Sales Tax
State Income Tax
Per Year of
Long TermDevelopment
Economic Blocks
Impact Per Year
in S. East Village +
$20 Million in Dev
Impact Fees
and 5,590
permanent jobs
$14,427,699

State Income Tax

$6,071,700

Sales Tax

$34,699,746

Property Tax

Economic Benefits

Economic benefits are significant if East Village South is allowed to

develop in a market-supportable process, with significant
synergistic benefits to the adjacent IDEA District and all of
downtown. The region would also benefit from the significant new
supply of housing, retail, professional office development, academic
facilities and affordable housing. Expected economic impact over
10 - 15 years would include, but not be limited to:

5,590 permanent jobs (excluding construction jobs which are not

permanent) with income ranging from $363 million to $447 million
per year. No multiplier impact assumed on the region, but with the
right kinds of jobs (design, technology, software, robotics, blue
economy, bio-tech, education, etc.) the multiplier effect on the
region could be several times the number of localized jobs in this
district.

Development Impact Fees Paid = $20.2 million (assumes 20%

affordable units and does not include the transportation economic
impact fees)

Useable Parking Added = 6,182 spaces, some of which could be

shared with downtown office needs or event needs

Housing Units Added = 3,114 (could be condos or apartments)

Retail Space Added = 300,000 sq ft

Office Space Added = 1,070,000 sq ft

Present Value of Property Taxes Paid over 30 years = $265 million

F.I.D.M.

11th

Law
School

Central
Library

720

Transit

208

Z o n e
F a u l t

201

14th

313

Parking
Lot

63

Fault
Park

320

El Nudillo

472

484

10
90

368

15th

Bus Yards

Wonder Bread

13

Father Joes

Future
Park

Barrio
Logan

V i l l a g e

S o u t h

Downtown's
Most Valuable
Undeveloped
Land

E a s t

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

Sherman
Heights

Obelisk/Art

14th St. Promenade

Academic

Historic or
Potentially Historic

Under Construction
or Permitted

East Village South

Parking Lot and Bus

Yards

Transit Station

iconic dome view

07.26.2016

29

30

HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE

East Village South is rich in historic structures. The Wonder Bread

Building is one of our finest brick warehouses. The Broom Works
Building is a colorful testament to the small scale industrial bones of
the neighborhood. The Palms Hotel still proudly stands. The block
of residences on 1 th ave. between Market and Island Ave. is
remarkably complete. The grand victorian house at 13th and Island
Streets is one of the best preserved in all of downtown. And these
are just a few.

Extensive historical resource surveys have identified a number of

East Village South structures as potentially significant, and many
of these have subsequently been designated as local historical
resources by the City s Historical Resources Board. Under city-wide
Historical Resource regulations, all structures more than 45 years of
age must be reviewed to determine if they merit local historical
designation once a permit application is submitted for a property
containing a structure of that age. As the future unfolds in East
Village South, we encourage developers to honor our past and
incorporate all or parts of significant older structures into their new
developments. It is also true that creative adaptive reuse can retain
elements of our historic community for future generations to enjoy
and will distinguish our community from others in the City.

Creative adaptive re-use is encouraged to avoid completely clearing

a site or block whenever possible.
Good cities layer new
development over the old. Bad cities just scrap the blocks clean.

F.I.D.M.

11th

Law
School

Central
Library

Transit

Z o n e
F a u l t

14th

Parking
Lot

Fault
Park

El Nudillo

15th

Bus Yards

Wonder Bread

16th

Father Joes

Future
Park

Barrio
Logan

Sherman
Heights

V i l l a g e

S o u t h

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

E a s t

Potentially
Historic
Buildings

His tor ic or
Potentiall y

Obelisk/Art

14th St. Promenade

East Village South

Transit Station

iconic dome view

31

32

NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY
Beginning in the 1860s with the establishment of the wharf at the foot
of Fifth Avenue, the area we now call Lower East Village or East Village
South has been a warehouse and manufacturing district. These uses
expanded as additional wharfs were constructed and the railroad
came to San Diego. Upper East Village became a residential area
housing the workers that worked on the waterfront. It also provided
housing for the citys African American populations that were not
allowed to live in other parts of the city.
The growth of East Village paralleled the growth of the automobile. The
early 1900s saw the establishment of some of the citys first automobile dealerships in the block bounded by 15th and 16th, Broadway
and E Streets. By the 1920s San Diegos auto row extended along
Broadway from 12th [now Park Boulevard] to 16th Streets.
About this time the city shifted emphasis to Broadway from Fifth Street
as the primary downtown street. East Village began a shift from
residential to commercial uses.
World War II accelerated these land use changes as the need for
industrial and manufacturing sites dramatically increased. By the early
1950s East Village was primarily commercial and industrial. In the
1950s the city began planning for freeways. A decision was made not
to locate I-5 along the waterfront but to have it wrap around downtown
and to define downtowns boundaries. The freeway severed East
Villages connections to Balboa Park and the neighborhoods of
Golden Hill, Sherman Heights and Barrio Logan. E, F, and G Streets
became freeway access further isolating East Village.
In the 1960s the City College Redevelopment Area was designated
and City College was built to help catalyze redevelopment. This in turn
has set the stage for what has started in East Village---the INNOVATION District.
In the 1970s the city began planning for the revitalization of downtown
to counter the emptying out of downtown as people and business continued to relocate to the suburbs. The area immediately to the south of
City College was designated as South City College. It was to be an
area that supported City College and was in turn supported by City
College.
The lower part of East Village was designated as the Bayside District
and was to take advantage of its relationship to the Bay. The zoning
which allowed everything and anything was modified to reduce pollution and minimize toxic waste. It also envisioned the relocation of the
bus yards and the SDG&E facilities.

Some envisioned East Village as an Arts District and named it BLEV,

the Barrio Logan East Village Arts District. This lead to changes in
building and zoning codes to allow for artist live-work spaces; the
entire area later became known as Centre City East.

All this was the beginning of what today East Village has become, an
industry cluster focused on Innovation Design, Education and the
Arts.

References/further information:
Centre City Community Plan
East Village Combined Historical Survey, 2005
Downtown San Diego African American Heritage study, 2005

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

33

34

MOBILITY

This Focus Plan endorses the recent Mobility Plan.

HOMELESS SOLUTIONS NOT DISPLACEMENT

While this Focus Plan presents no solutions to the problems of

Homelessness in the East Village, it recognizes that whatever is
done must be in collaboration with the various agencies and
institutions addressing both short-term and long-term solutions.

As planning continues, homelessness must be considered as part of

the process and not as an afterthought. Ignoring homelessness
during the planning process simply pushes the problem to the next
neighborhood. East Village has a significant investment in resources
for the homeless and these are part of the fabric of the community.
Any solution should focus first on how to better utilize them.

Advocacy is key. Creating the sense of urgency in our elected

leaders will go a long way toward prioritizing solutions to
homelessness in East Village. Discussions around a Focus Plan can
play a key role in that advocacy effort.

East Village South needs to consider the following issues:

1. Better connection between support services and housing

opportunities. Integration improves the safety and well-being of the
homeless community and all East Village residents.

2. Investments, supported by inclusionary housing policy, should

encourage integrating homeless services and housing into the fabric
of the community rather than isolating them.

3. Improving outreach to the homeless community with information

on access to services and housing opportunities.

Childrens
Museum

Ba

Gaslamp

Balboa Park

S.D.High
City Collage

E a s t

S o u t h

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

V i l l a g e

Aca d e mic Ar ma tu r e
Ea st Vi ll ag e So u th

School

Community Center

Sherman Heights

Barrio
Chicano Park

35

36

East Village People

CREDITS

SPECIAL CREDITS

Roger Lewis
2016 President C3
Contributor

Mike Stepner FAIA, FAICP

Professor, NewSchool of Architecture & Design
Contributor and editor

Dr. Norm Miller

Professor, University of San Diego
Economic Analysis

David Malmuth
Partner, IDEA Partners
Contributor and editor

Beth Callender
Brand Strategist, Greenhaus
Contributor and editor

Rob Quigley, FAIA

Principal, Rob Wellington Quigley Architecture & Planning
Maps and diagrams

Joe Cordelle, Architect & Digital Illustrator

Principal, Joe Cordelle & Company
Computer graphics

Ralph Roesling, FAIA

Principal, RNT Architects
Hand sketches

Jim Tanner, AIA, NCARB

Principal, TannerHecht Inc
Computer mass study and capacity analysis

Beth Callender - Chair

Bill Adams
Jack Carpenter
Pete Garcia
Roger Lewis
David Malmuth
Norm Miller
Rob Quigley
Wayne Raffesberger
Mike Stepner

Design/Planning Participants
Rob Quigley, FAIA Team Leader
Howard Blackson, Urban Planner
Phil Bona, AIA, NCARB, LEED, AP
Jack Carpenter, FAIA
Kathleen Hallahan, Architect
Kevin Leslie, AIA
Dave Malmuth, MBA
Ralph Roesling, FAIA
Audrey Ruland, Architect
Mark Steele, FAIA, AICP, NCARB
Mike Stepner FAIA, FAICP
Dan Stewart, AIA
Jim Tanner, AIA
Diego Velasco, AICP, LEED, AP
A special thank you to the NewSchool of Architecture & Design for
providing our Workshop Space and for printing the Focus Plan document.

Marie Burke Lia, Esquire

Real Estate Attorney
Contributor

EAS T V I LLAG E S O U T H
F

Appendix
Site Plan
Workshop invite

Workshop #1 report
http://www.ideadistrictsd.com/east-village-south-report/

Workshop #2 report
http://www.ideadistrictsd.com/east-village-south-report-april-2/

Innovation District White Paper

http://www.ideadistrictsd.com/east-village-south-white-paper

Downtown San Diego: The Innovation Economys Next Frontier,

April 2016: http://www.downtownsandiego.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/DSDP-Demographic-Study-2016.pdf

Library Park Land Use Illustrations

Library Park Economic Analysis
14th Street, Green Street plan

Downtown San Diego Mobility Plan

http://www.downtownsdmobility.com/

Downtown Community Plan can be downloaded here:

http://civicsd.com/planning/regulatory-documents.html

37

38

END NOTES

1. SAN DAG Current Estimate Downtown CPA (extracted 1-20-16)

2. SAN DAG Series 13 Forecast, Downtown Community Planning

Area, 2015

3. Downtown Demographic Study, Downtown San Diego Partnership, March 2015

4. Invention and Reinvention: The Evolution of San Diego's Innovation Economy, by Mary Walshok, Abraham Shragge

5. SAN DAG, US Census Bureau, Centre City CPA (extracted on

1-20-16)

6. Downtown San Diego: The Innovation Economys Next Frontier,

April 2016

7. Downtown Start-up Directory; CONNECT Innovation Report 2014

8. Downtown San Diego: The Innovation Economys Next Frontier,

April 2016