99 Apartments
A new apartment complex is taking over a half block of the East Village, bringing 99 units and more retail shops to the neighborhood.
Called F11, the seven-story project on F Street, between 11th and Park avenues, broke ground this week and replaces an asphalt lot and smog-check shop. The third floor will have an indoor-outdoor activity center, pool and spa, and entertainment area, and more than 5,000 square feet of retail is planned for the ground floor. Units range from studios to two-bedrooms and will open in early 2018.
A release from The Richman Group of California, the company developing the $45 million project, labels the amenities as “luxury,” so rent prices will be at or above market rate. Right now, studios in the East Village are going for $1,706 a month; the average one-bedroom is $2,177, and you can expect rates to increase by 2018.
The company also plans to build a 23-story high-rise across from the Central Library that will be designed by architect Rob Wellington Quigley and include a large restaurant with outdoor seating. We’ll let you know when it breaks ground later this year and when we find out who leases the restaurant.
New Jackie Robinson YMCA Breaks Ground; What Should Happen to the Old Library?
Construction has begun on the $25 million Jackie Robinson Family YMCA. | Photo by Jackie Robinson Family YMCA/Screenshot from Facebook
Construction has begun on the $25 million Jackie Robinson Family YMCA. | Photo by Jackie Robinson Family YMCA/Screenshot from Facebook
Southeast San Diego getting expansive community center
The historic Jackie Robinson Family YMCA in Mountain View is getting a $25 million facelift.
Originally built in 1943, the facility near Imperial Avenue was razed this spring and ground broke last week on the new 50,000-square-foot community center that will have two basketball courts, cycling and exercise studios, an outdoor sports complex, and two enclosed pools covered by a retractable roof. The gym and exercise studios are expected to open next year, and the aquatic center and outdoor fields are set for the second phase of the expansion.
A release from Civic San Diego, which provided a $5 million loan and tax credits for the project, says the expanded center will be able to serve an additional 5,000 families annually.
Before the groundbreaking, residents and employees shared their memories of the former 73-year-old center on the YMCA’s Facebook page and the news that one of its longtime members, James Cannon Sr. (grandfather of actor Nick Cannon), recently passed away. The Cannons lived near the Y, and Nick learned to swim there and continued to use their weight room after starring in the movie Drumline.
What should we do with the old library?
It’s been three years since the city moved the main library to its fancy new digs in the East Village, yet the space it left behind on E Street is still vacant. The sidewalks fronting the five-story, 75,000-square-foot building have turned into a homeless camp, and the city recently announced it’s seeking a developer to rehab the property.
The request for proposals says the city wants to use the space “to foster innovation and entrepreneurship,” so most likely a new co-working space, startup incubator, or arts center would be in line with the city’s goal to make downtown a hub for tech and new businesses. Indeed, there are already plenty high-rises and mixed-use complexes (residential and retail) under construction or planned for the neighborhood. What would you like to see replace the old library? Tell us in the comments!
Speaking of innovation, we’re taking a break from looking at housing options for the next few weeks and will turn our attention to the local startup landscape in celebration of San Diego Startup Week.
New Jackie Robinson YMCA Breaks Ground; What Should Happen to the Old Library?
The new F11 apartment complex broke ground on F Street and 11th Avenue. | Image courtesy of Metz Public Relations
