San Diego Has a New IDEA

By Alex Girda, Associate Editor

Spurred by the appearance of The Hub, a development team including Lowe Enterprises, LaSalle Investment Management and I.D.E.A. Partners recently held a ground breaking ceremony for the IDEA1 project. The construction of the project signals the emergence of San Diego’s I.D.E.A. District, the fast-growing innovation corridor in the Upper East Village. The event took place on November 3, and was attended by the most prominent figures involved with the district.

IDEA1

Following designs provided by The Miller Hull Partnership, IDEA1 will be a mid-rise, six-story complex of 295 apartments, 25 live/work lofts at the ground floor, and eight luxury penthouses. The apartment mix consists of studio, one- and two-bedroom floorplans. All units at IDEA 1 will feature polished concrete floors, high-end appliances, while residents will be granted access to the community’s amenity package including a rooftop pool, fitness center, a clubhouse, and an event kitchen. Swinerton Builders will act as the contractor for IDEA1.

IDEA 1 also includes 13,000 square feet of dining, retail and creative office space, built around The Hub. The communal space is meant to be a flexible events area that offers the area’s residents access to social gatherings, educational offerings and other informal events. Completion of the $90 million development project is estimated for the fall of 2017.

The I.D.E.A. District is meant to provide the city of San Diego with a new area of the city that will be driven by innovation and design-related jobs. I.D.E.A. Partners Pete Garcia and David Malmuth are in charge of the 95-acre project.

Rendering courtesy of I.D.E.A. District