old police hq revamp starts this summer

it looks like redevelopment of the historic old police headquarters downtown next to seaport village will begin this summer, and it's hoped the final result will be a public market/retail/restaurant center similar to pike place in seattle. the headquarters, built in 1939 and empty since 1987, is on the national register of historic places due to its iconic spanish colonial revival and classical styles. the developer's website has more information, including a map showing much of the interior courtyard filled with the various uses above, and says the project will include "specialty retail, restaurants, and entertainment uses. The project also includes 4.5 acres of open space, a Pier Walk Building with a fish processing facility, and waterfront restaurant and retail space."

that last part refers to the 16,000-square-foot chesapeake fish co. building just west of the headquarters, which will be "razed, rebuilt, pivoted to face a park-like walkway down to a pier, shrunk in square footage and given space for a retail and restaurant operation", according to a october 2005 article in the san diego metropolitan magazine.

sounds good, but one sticking point is how much $$ the port district is willing to kick in. fresh from giving marriott 46 million for their new waterfront hotel so the moneyed have another prime spot to rest their heads, how about kicking a few bucks to a project that could become a major tourist attraction and resource for local residents? considering the project will cost $40 million, the port should be able to cover all of that, right? after all, many more residents and tourists will be using this facility than the expensive rooms at the hilton. alas, the port won't be paying a penny for rehabbing the site, and will instead offer discounted rent to the developer. once again, citizens of san diego should ask themselves just whom the port is talking about when they claim to represent us.

even with the discounted rent, the port will still be charging enough that the developer is looking to fill the restaurant slot(s) with national restaurant chains (hello, olive garden!) rather than local businesses. if i recall correctly, former old town restaurant leaseholder diane powers was in negotiations to operate at this site, but said that rents were too high. i guess nothing identifies san diego more than a restaurant that's in every other shopping mall in the country.

let's hope the port and the developer can come to an agreement soon and start the redevelopment this summer as expected. no completion date given, but this will be a huge improvement for this part of downtown. now if they can just overhaul the dated seaport village fronting the harbor behind this project... well, according to the port district page above, the sasaki/quigley waterfront redesign shown below won't happen until 2018 ("another project we won't be tossing a dime to"), so you've got plenty of time to admire its tired look until then.