San Diego leaders hope to keep housing development off Mission Bay Park

San Diego is in need of housing, but local leaders are enlisting state help to keep housing off Mission Bay Park.

Assemblymember Chris Ward’s Assembly Bill 2525, which is making its way through the California State Legislature, would exempt housing on Mission Bay Park.

From its ragged roof to its broken beams, the Marina Village Conference Center is showing its age.

Mayor Todd Gloria wants to see the village redeveloped, along with the land around Sportsmen’s Seafood Restaurant on Quivira Road and the Dana Landing Marina.

“We’re fine with the redevelopment with some new retail stores, new restaurants, new business areas,” said Robert Newton, who’s been a manager at Dana Landing Market for more than a decade. It’s in one of the sites proposed for redevelopment. 

But in order for any of the redevelopment to happen and leases to be renegotiated, Mayor Gloria had proposed San Diego city council members use the state’s Surplus Land Act (SLA).

However, the highly controversial idea was later dropped. That’s because it would give first priority to housing developers, who could force the city into building apartments on the land.

Already, the city’s received an offer to build 900 homes on the property, something the mayor and some others say they don’t want to see.

“I’d like more housing because we live in a camper,” said Lisa Cummins. “But I don’t think this area is good for it. It’ll block just the boats and nature and do a lot of damage.”

“It’s designated park, an aquatic park. It has no place having residential homes or people warehouses or whatever you want to call them.  This is an open space area that should be left alone as is,” said Newton.

Hoping to stop any housing development from happening in the area, Ward has proposed AB 2525.

Mayor Todd Gloria’s office issued a statement saying:

“With the support of the City Council, the Mayor is sponsoring this legislation and appreciates Assemblymember Ward’s leadership in authoring it. While the SLA serves an important statewide housing purpose, its procedural requirements are not feasible where housing is prohibited by law, such as Mission Bay Park.

Converting Marina Village to private residential use would require amending City Charter Section 55 – an action that must be approved by a two-thirds vote of San Diego voters, which is neither feasible nor supported by the Mayor or the community.”

The San Diego City Council is set to vote on a resolution Tuesday, declaring the city’s support for Ward’s bill.

One of the bill’s first tests in Sacramento comes Wednesday when the first state committee will vote on it.