National City Breaks Ground on San Diego Workforce Housing
The project is taking shape adjacent to a farmers' market.
National City Investment Group has broken ground on Market View, a 120-unit workforce housing community at 303 Highland Ave. in National City, Calif., located in southwestern San Diego County.
The project will transform an underutilized parking lot adjacent to Manolo Farmers Market, which has served National City for more than 33 years, into a residential community. It is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2028.
Market View will consist of three residential buildings, primarily composed of studios, one- and two-bedroom units. Open-air corridors and an exterior social stair will provide circulation throughout the project.
A building known as the Hub at the center of the development will feature a shared rooftop deck offering views toward the ocean and surrounding mountains. The complex will also include a coworking area on the ground-floor lobby, a community room and a guest suite planned for future resident use.
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A second amenity area called The Gateway Building will promote wellness and landscaping through an outdoor yoga deck above a planted stormwater-retention area. The structure has colors, patterns and large-scale graphics informed by National City’s mural tradition and the cultural character of the surrounding community, according to the developer.
RDC designed the development, with R.D. Olson Construction serving as the general contractor. McCullough Landscape Architecture is handling landscape design, and Gafcon PM-CM LLC is providing real estate advisory and project management services for the development.
Development still strong in San Diego
Greater San Diego remains an active market for multifamily development, with developers adding 2,204 units this year through April, according to Yardi Matrix data. Another 11,703 units were under construction at that time, with an estimated 8,000 units coming online throughout this year.
In August, CEDARst Cos. obtained an $80 million construction loan for The Samuel, a 197-unit project in San Diego that will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom layouts. Completion is expected in September 2028.
In May, Ryan Cos. and Strata Equity Group completed VAYA on Axia, a 278-unit community in Chula Vista, Calif., within metro San Diego after two years of development. The property encompasses one- to three-bedroom layouts.
