After a ten-month competitive solicitation process, the Board of Port Commissioners has made a historic decision to select a development proposal for the Central Embarcadero Waterfront Development Opportunity.
The San Diego waterfront is one of the region’s most significant and precious assets. The Board has sought to facilitate the best possible development of the Central Embarcadero to shape it into a compelling destination for San Diegans as well as tourists. On November 8, 2016, after a competitive public process, the Board of Port Commissioners voted to select the 1HWY1 proposal (submitted by Gafcon), while reserving certain rights on behalf of the agency.
“Today is a great day for the entire San Diego region. Our Board is very impressed with the 1HWY1 team; their concept is innovative, with elements that will bring San Diegans to the downtown waterfront,” said Chairman Marshall Merrifield of the Board of Port Commissioners. “We will continue our exclusive discussions with 1HWY1 as we look forward to making this exciting project a reality.”
The Board’s action formally concludes the competitive process, eliminating the other five active proposals from consideration. The next step will be for staff to conduct additional due diligence on the proposal submitted by 1HWY1 before returning to the Board with an update and a potential preliminary agreement for consideration around mid-2017.
The Waterfront Development Opportunity is a prime site of approximately 70 acres of land and water situated in the Port’s Central Embarcadero area between downtown San Diego and the San Diego Bayfront. This highly visible and desirable area includes Seaport Village, Chesapeake Fish, and surrounding areas between the Hyatt and the USS Midway Museum. The Headquarters and The Fish Market Restaurant are within the boundary but excluded from the proposal process because there are long-term leases on those properties.
The Board of Port Commissioners has led a competitive, open and transparent process for soliciting and selecting the best possible proposals for this prime real estate, with multiple opportunities for public input.
Timeline – Central Embarcadero Development Opportunity
- February 2016 - Port issues public Request for Proposals.
- May 2, 2016 - Submissions due.
- June 13-14, 2016 - Port hosts Open House, invites community to preview six qualified proposals, meet with development teams and provide comments. More than 1,200 people attend over two days.
- July 13, 2016 - Board of Port Commissioners considers proposals at a special public workshop. The Board directs staff to exclusively continue discussions with 1HWY1 to further evaluate their proposal, while not eliminating the other five proposals.
- October 13, 2016 - Board of Port Commissioners directs staff to schedule a meeting to discuss selecting a successful proposer and/or give further feedback to staff.
- November 8, 2016 - Board of Port Commissioners selects the 1HWY1 proposal and concludes the competitive process.