03/04/20 - C-3 panel: Big changes coming to Seaport Village
By Thor Kamban Biberman
From Point Loma to Chula Vista, San Diego Bay is about to undergo some big changes and some major challenges as well.
Yehudi Gaffen, CEO of Gafcon, Inc. and Protea Waterfront Development, is overseeing plans for the transformation of Seaport Village into Seaport San Diego. He said it seemed like everything was wrong with the site, from an active earthquake fault to a sewage line from Coronado that also goes beneath the property. Even with these issues, Gaffen said the Bjarke Ingels-designed project is nevertheless stronger than ever -- both physically and from a planning standpoint.
One example of how the Seaport San Diego design changed because of the fault is the placement of the spire atop a 380-room hotel complex to ensure the tower had a proper foundation. This will be just one of the lodging components.
Exactly how many hotel rooms will be built at Seaport San Diego is still being determined, though Gaffen has said there could be as many as 2,000 rooms despite the fault line.
"There will be seven different price points from hostel to luxury," he said.
As for the spire, Gaffen said it will be a signature element for San Diego, comparing it to the space needle in Seattle.
In an effort to maintain a working waterfront, Gaffen said a 25,000-square-foot fish processing facility will be developed on the G Street Mole.
"About 60 percent of the fish is taken to San Pedro because we don't have the processing," he said.
Other elements will include a major event center as well as an aquarium and classrooms for the Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Wetlands also will be recreated by the bay.
While projects of this magnitude are frequently controversial, Gaffen said the team members at Protea Waterfront Development are working closely with both the California Coastal Commission and the State Lands Commission on the project. Read More>
