Fat City Lofts Project in Danger as CCDC Votes in Favor of Solar Turbines

By Gabriel Circiog, Associate Editor

The Center City Development Corp. board has cast its vote on the Fat City Lofts development. As previously reported, Solar Turbines has opposed the project arguing that coexistence with the planned 232-unit apartment development would be virtually impossible. The company stated that the development would attract an environmental review that could end up costing 1,800 jobs.

As the San Diego downtown area transforms into an ideal place to live, work, and be entertained with projects such as Horton Plaza, Civic Center Complex and the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, it looks like the industry and high-paying manufacturing jobs still have a future.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the board voted 4-2 in favor of Solar with three abstentions. As a result, director Laurie Black, one of the two supporters of the projects, submitted her resignation. Project architect and partner with the developer GLJ Partners, Jonathan Segal, remains optimistic, however, that the Planning Commission—which has the final say in the fate of the project—will lean in his favor.

Though the project complies with the downtown community plan, it conflicts with goals in the city’s general plan to preserve land devoted to employment. The close proximity to Solar Turbines would mean that the plant would have to meet tougher air pollution control standards. In the end, officials said the plant might have to be closed and relocated out of state.

The CCDC staff recommended against approval of the project and also the changing of the downtown plan to rezone certain blocks around Solar, thus future developers will know what is permitted and what is not.

Illustration Courtesy of: www.ccdc.com