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CCDC News Digest 5-1-08 (Board Meeting Summary)

NEWS RELEASE

Date: May 2, 2008

Contact: Derek Danziger
619-533-7103 or
Tiffany Metti
619-533-7136
www.ccdc.com

CCDC News Digest
Regular Meeting of the
Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC)
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Special Notes: CCDC’s regular meetings are held at City Hall in the City Council Chambers, 12th Floor, City Administration Building, 202 C St. This meeting was held in the 12^th FloorCouncil Committee Room. The next meeting will be at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2008.

The following summarizes Wednesday’s meeting:

BOARD APPROVES CEDAR GATEWAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT (Cortez). The Board recommended that the Redevelopment Agency and City Council approve the Cedar Gateway project. Squier Properties, LLC and ROEM Corporation have joined to propose a 65-unit affordable rental housing development on the north side of Cedar Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues in Cortez. All 65 units will be restricted to provide affordable rents to very-low- and extremely low-income households. Twenty three units will be set aside as supportive housing units for the special-needs population. The project will include three levels of underground parking, of which the first floor will be purchased by the Redevelopment Agency to serve as public parking (28 spaces). The project site contains the vacant historic Bradley-Woolman St. Cecelia Chapel constructed in 1928. The Redevelopment Agency will issue a Request for Proposals to solicit proposals to purchase/lease and rehabilitate the historic building. The developer will construct an affordable housing project on the vacant lot adjacent to the chapel. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 14, click here.

BOARD RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR FUNDING, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF HARBOR DRIVE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE (East Village).

The Board recommended that the Redevelopment Agency and the City Council approve all actions as necessary to fund, construct, and maintain the Park Boulevard at Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge Project in East Village. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 6, click here.

BOARD RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR NEW LIGHTING IN CORTEZ NEIGHBORHOOD (Cortez). The Board recommended Redevelopment Agency and City Council authorization of the installation and update of new streetlights in Cortez . Of the 155 streetlights in the project, 125 are new and 30 will be replaced because they are older lights in poor condition and have existing high-voltage wiring that will be converted to safer low-voltage circuits. Additionally, 21 streetlights will be retrofitted with new lamps and connected to new circuits. The improvement will enhance the area’s aesthetics, security and safety. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 4, click here.

BOARD RECOMMEDS CONTRACT FOR ECONOMIC/FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX (Core). The Board recommended that the Redevelopment Agency approve a contract with The Staubach Company for economic/financial feasibility analysis consulting services for the Civic Center Complex located at 202 C Street. Staubach will conduct a baseline cost projection, including a facilities condition assessment and related costs of City-owned facilities. Staubach will assist staff in preparing a developer Request for Proposals (RFP) and analyze the financial proposals submitted in response to the RFP. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 5, click here.

BOARD GRANTS DESIGN APPROVAL FOR STAYBRIDGE SUITES (Cortez).

The Board granted Design Review Approval for the Jacquelyn J. Carrol/Richard Carrol Staybridge Suites. The project involves redevelopment of the 12,466-square-foot site at the southeast corner of Tenth Avenue and Ash Street in Cortez to include an eight-story hotel building (88 feet tall) with 126 rooms and parking for 49 vehicles. The project site is located at the northeast “major gateway” to downtown where State Route 163 (SR-163) enters and departs downtown, and is currently occupied by a low-rise (two-story) hotel. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 7, click here.

BOARD RECOMMENDS AGENCY APPROVAL FOR NEW PARKING METERS (Centre City). The Board recommended that the City Council approve the purchase by the City, and that the Redevelopment Agency approve the funding, of up to 125 new technology parking meters from CALE Parking Systems in an amount not to exceed $926,478. The battery-operated, solar-powered meters greatly reduce the number of single-head meters found on block faces and include new technology such as payment with credit card and usage monitoring. A pilot program began in 2006 with 50 meters being leased by the City. These 50 meters, along with an additional 75 new meters will be purchased for a price of $926,478. Based on information provided by the City, it would take just over one year to recoup the costs of the meters. The original 50 meters used during the pilot program will be purchased at a discounted rate. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 10, click here.

CCDC AMMENDS FY08-09 BUDGET FOR REPAYMENT AND NORTH EMBARCADERO VISIONARY PLAN (Centre City). The Board approved an amendment to the fiscal year FY08 Budget increasing the provision for City repayments in the amount of $5 million, increasing the budget for the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan (NEVP) by $1.5 million and reducing the line item Future Year Project Carry-Forward by a like amount. During the budget process and during the past two years, staff has worked on a long-term financial plan that included repayment to the City. Recently, following requests from the mayor’s office, the concept of early repayment has been evaluated and it is now proposed that a $5 million amount be incorporated into the FY09 Budget. Repayments to the City are expected to continue in increased amounts in future years until paid in full. In addition, an increase in the NEVP budget is proposed to facilitate an agreement with the San Diego Unified Port District to facilitate funding for the expanded Phase I construction. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 12, click here.

BOARD RECOMMENDS APPROVAL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PARKING STUDY. The Board recommended Redevelopment Agency approval of a portion of the funding for an Affordable Housing Parking Study in the amount of $40,000 from the Centre City Project Area. A study of current parking demand requirements for various types of affordable housing developments is being proposed by the City Planning and Community Investment Economic Development Division. Funding for the study will come from the City, the Redevelopment Agency, CCDC, Southeastern Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) and the San Diego Housing Commission. Each entity would contribute 1/5th of the study’s cost. The estimated cost is $200,000. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 13, click here.

BOARD APPROVES 7-ELEVEN PERMIT FOR OFF-SITE SALE OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES. The Board approved 7-Eleven, Inc.’s Conditional Use Permit to allow the off-site sale of alcoholic beverages (beer and wine only) for a convenience store located at 417 Ninth Avenue. (Vote: 4–0 with Directors Brown and LeSar excused and Director Cruz Absent.) To read the full staff report for item 15, click here.

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About CCDC
Centre City Development Corporation is a public, nonprofit corporation established in 1975 by the City of San Diego to plan and facilitate the redevelopment of downtown’s 1,500 acres. To learn more, visit www.ccdc.com

About CCDC
Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) is a public, nonprofit corporation established in 1975 by the City of San Diego to plan and facilitate the redevelopment of downtown’s 1,500 acres. To learn more, visit: www.ccdc.com

Special Notes: CCDC's News Digest can be delivered to your e-mail address. Simply fill out our email form to choose the type of messages you would like to receive. CCDC's regular meetings held at City Hall are televised live on City Access TV channel 24-Time Warner and Cox Cable.