San Diego Committee Advances Midway Rising: All 2,000 Affordable Homes Must Be Built on the Sports Arena Site
San Diego — San Diego is a city in San Diego County, California. The Midway Rising redevelopment, described as the largest affordable housing project in California history, is headed to the San Diego City Council for a final vote in the coming weeks after the council's Land Use and Housing Committee voted on October 16 to move it forward, the Times of San Diego reported on October 17. The plan would redevelop the 48.5-acre, city-owned Sports Arena property, with billionaire developer Stan Kroenke's team behind the project.
About 50 residents spoke during public comment. Supporters praised the number of housing units and the jobs the project brings, while opponents focused on environmental hazards and the site's potential for flooding, with many also citing the city's past real estate blunders as evidence of a potential bad deal. The four committee members' own concerns centered on an excerpt missing from the Development Disposition Agreement, which requires that all 2,000 affordable housing units be built on the site and not counted in surrounding projects, as reported by Voice of San Diego. "I strongly believe that it's in the city's best interest to ensure that our vision for Midway to produce new affordable units is actually met," Councilmember Kent Lee said. Committee members Sean Elo- Rivera, Vivian Moreno and Stephen Whitburn agreed and directed staff to look into the missing language.
On the environmental hazards, Elo-Rivera said redevelopment would benefit the whole community: "The Sports Arena site is basically a fast lane for chemicals and toxins to pollute our rivers, beaches, and bays. What we will have is a modern system that will capture and clean runoff, and will make the entire city healthier. That's a win, especially from an infrastructure perspective."
After voting to move Midway Rising to the full council with the affordable-housing change, the committee also voted in favor of establishing an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District to reimburse Kroenke for new infrastructure, using property tax revenues generated within the project area. The city's Office of the Independent Budget Analyst estimates the developer could be reimbursed up to $378 million of his $460 million infrastructure investment. The financing-district vote will go to the city council and then to the county for final approval, and the council is expected to vote on Midway Rising in the coming weeks.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：圣迭戈体育馆（现 Pechanga Arena）外观，即「Midway Rising」拟重建地块的主体建筑。照片：Nehrams2020，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: the San Diego Sports Arena (now Pechanga Arena), the main building on the Midway Rising redevelopment site. Photo by Nehrams2020, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
