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NewsReal Estate Executives Discuss Urban Village Projects At Urban Land Institute BreakfastFebruary 13, 2007 San Diego, CA - The Urban Land Institute (ULI) San Diego/Tijuana Chapter presented a breakfast meeting about two urban villages underway in San Diego County on Tuesday, February 13 at the downtown University Club. Speakers included Todd Galarneau, project manager at The Corky McMillin Companies and Marco Sessa, vice president - development at Sudberry Properties. The panel was moderated by Mark Steele, FAIA, AICP, president of MW Steele Group. At the sold-out event, the panelists discussed two emerging urban village projects: The Corky McMillin Companies' Eastern Urban Center in Chula Vista and Sudberry Properties' Quarry Falls in San Diego. Steele framed the conversation saying "the whole definition of urban villages is central to the future of San Diego," but that the definition of an urban village is still evolving. The Eastern Urban Center and Quarry Falls are two projects that may become models for others hoping to define and create urban villages. Located in the heart of Otay Ranch, one of San Diego's most successful new master planned communities, the Eastern Urban Center (EUC) is a 230-acre site, which is anticipated to add more than 3.4 million square feet of commercial space and approximately 3,000 multi-family housing units in Chula Vista. "The Eastern Urban Center truly is extraordinary and not just on a local level but also on a national level," Galarneau said. "We are trying to create an urban center right in the middle of the suburbs. It is a quantum leap forward for the South Bay." One of eight smart growth centers in the region, the EUC is projected to take over 10 years to build out, Galarneau said. The project consists of a variety of flexible districts, including an office employment district, retail, residential neighborhoods, a civic core and mixed-use commercial areas. "If you have a project that is going to take 10 years to build out, you are going to need a flexible implementation structure. We want something that is very eclectic and very authentic, and we want the EUC to fall into that category," Galarneau said. The Quarry Falls project, like the EUC, will be a village unto itself that also complements the existing built and natural environment surrounding it. Quarry Falls is located on a 230-acre sand and gravel quarry in Mission Valley, which will be re-used to create new entry-level, workforce and senior homes, a new public park, public school and fire station. "We have experienced job growth, which has led to population growth, which has led to the need for housing," Sessa said. "(With Quarry Falls) we have the opportunity to shape a land form." Located off of Friars Road in Mission Valley, Quarry Falls is located in the middle of an urban area surrounded on all sides by retail, residential, hotel and office development. One of the challenges of Quarry Falls is creating a master planned community in a community that is already built out, Sessa said. To overcome those challenges, Quarry Falls plans to create a model, sustainable solution that reduces commuter freeway traffic by providing attainable homes close to jobs. While more than 50 percent of the project is reserved for open space, the project will still add a significant amount of residential space with more than 4,780 homes. "We are really creating a true sense of place in the neighborhoods," said Sessa. "We are creating those special places for people to spend time and to socialize." About ULI # # # |
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