www.sdchamber.org

Public Policy Update

By Scott Alevy, Vice President of Public Policy & Communications

The Navy Broadway complex, a project that will deliver a major “corporate headquarters” building for the Navy Region Southwest at no cost to taxpayers, and will offer world-class office, retail, hospitality and residential buildings, took a major step forward on February 26 with a key decision at the San Diego City Council.

Sometimes referred to as the “Pacific Gateway” project, the public-private partnership between the United States Navy and Chamber member Manchester Development is projected for the site of the Navy Supply Depot and Navy Southwest offices at the foot of Broadway, along Harbor Drive.  The first phase would be the construction of a new $350 million high-rise office tower for the Navy, funded and constructed by the Manchester group as part of the agreement.

In what should be the final of a dozen hearings before the City of San Diego and its downtown redevelopment agency, the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), the city council voted 6-2 to deny the appeal by the project’s opponents and uphold the positive environmental determination that had been concluded by CCDC and city staff over the last 18 months.  This essentially forwarded the design, content and concept of the major development to the Coastal Commission for a hearing late this spring.  Once the project clears that hurdle, it will come back yet again to the city for the council’s hearings on its design and scope.

The Chamber has had a leading role from the outset of this process, taking a strong supportive position and providing testimony at all of the many hearings.  In addition, I was proud to write supportive editorials that appeared in two major San Diego news publications early on.

The Chamber will remain vigilant in support of this worthy and iconic project, which will create thousands of construction and permanent jobs and add billions to the regional economy.  The Chamber has partnered with the Navy for over 100 years, playing a key role in convincing President Theodore Roosevelt (himself a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy), Secretary of War William Howard Taft and the Secretary of the Navy to homeport the Pacific fleet in San Diego.  We continue that partnership earnestly to this day. 

The Navy Region Southwest deserves a world-class facility to house its “corporate headquarters.”  With one in every five jobs in the region either active duty uniformed military or defense industry support, it is San Diego’s leading employment group.  In addition to the Navy HQ building, office and residential towers, hotels, restaurants and other retail buildings will be a part of the complex, along with several acres of passive park land.  In addition, the complex, being master developed by one of the region’s most successful builders, will afford the public new view corridors and pedestrian access to San Diego Bay.

The Navy Broadway Complex is one step closer, and the Chamber is committed to stay with the Navy and Manchester every step of the way.