The birthplace of California, San Diego holds a coveted location on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Top that off with a low unemployment rate and a booming economy and it’s no wonder everyone loves this city. Supported by the growing demand for urban living, construction activity has also surged, adding new stunning towers to an already vibrant city.
As home prices rebound from the recession and house supply decreases, condominium projects, which struggled with sales just a few years ago, have begun to pick up steam. The city’s apartment market is thriving as well, with higher rents and low vacancy levels across all market tiers, generating investor interest and ushering the development of impressive new apartment complexes.
To see just how much America’s Finest City has changed in recent years, we turned to Google’s Street View, and compared the San Diego of 2007 with the city of today. Here are some of the most engaging developments that reshaped San Diego’s streetscape from 2007 to 2015.
Simply drag the arrow bar back-and-forth to view the old and the new images.
1. Vantage Pointe, Ten Fifty B – East Village/Ballpark District
Year Built: 2008 & 2010
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Built as Downtown’s largest condominium building, Vantage Pointe soars 41 stories above the skyline. This turbulent project for Developer Pointe of View, endured multiple construction delays. To avoid default, they refunded the original down payments and turned 20% the residences into rental units. Sold in 2010 to Equity Residential, it is now a 679 unit rental complex.
The first all-new structure in San Diego to earn LEED Gold, Affirmed Housing Group’s Ten Fifty B provides 229 affordable housing units spread across 23 stories and 14,000 square feet of retail space. Amenities include multiple tot lots, barbecue areas, underground parking, a business center, after-school programs, and on site management.
2. Bayside at the Embarcadero, Sapphire Tower – Core-Columbia
Year Built: 2009 & 2008
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Bosa California LLC’s Bayside at the Embarcadero at 1325 Pacific Hwy is a 36 story, 232-unit condominium tower perched on the Embarcadero’s residential “front row.” It boasts an entertainment lounge, wine-tasting room, lap pool with spa, outdoor kitchen, and fitness club.
Sapphire Tower is a 23-story, 97-unit, luxury condominium development by Centurion/Avion. Situated at 1262 Kettner Boulevard the multi-use tower has 13,000 square feet of office space, 2,000 square feet of retail space, and 183 underground parking spaces. Residences have 10’ ceilings with state of the art interior finishes and amenities including concierge services and a rooftop pool and spa.
3. U.S. District Court Southern District of California – Marina
Year Built: 2012
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The James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep U.S. Courthouse at 333 W Broadway is a slender 16-story, 470,000-square-foot tower featuring six courtrooms. Owned by the GSA, this LEED-Gold project cost $110 million and houses the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California as well as the U.S. Marshals Service, Clerk of Court, U.S. Pretrial Services, and IRS.
4. Ariel Suites – Little Italy
Year Built: 2013
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Ariel Suites at 701 West Beech Street is a 22-floor mixed-use apartment complex with 17,300 square feet of retail space, and 5 levels of underground parking. Developed by Lennar Multifamily Communities, the 224 one- and two-bedroom apartments offer sweeping harbor and ocean views, an extensive pool deck with fire pits, and a fitness center.
5. 15th & Commercial – East Village
Year Built: 2012
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Father Joe’s Villages developed the affordable housing project 15th & Commercial as a 12-story, 120,000-square-foot, mixed-use building. It includes therapeutic childcare, transitional housing in semi-private units, and 64 furnished studio apartments with supportive services reserved for homeless, or at risk persons.
6. Strata – East Village
Year Built: 2010
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Situated at 969 Market Street and originally developed by UDR as luxury condos, Strata San Diego is now a 163-unit apartment complex with 12,100 square feet of retail space. Topping out at 23 stories, the LEED Silver tower offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, 4 levels of underground parking, a 24/7 fitness center, private screening room, and courtyard pool.
7. Residence Inn San Diego Downtown – Gaslamp
Year Built: 2016
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J Street Hospitality developed the Residence Inn San Diego Downtown at 356 6th Avenue. The 147-key hotel features 27,000 square feet of retail space, parking for more than 400 vehicles, and a 1.6-acre park. Hotel accommodations include spacious studio, one- and two-bedroom suites with separate living areas and fully equipped kitchens.
8. Pacific Beacon Residential Complex – Barrio Logan
Year Built: 2009
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A public/private partnership between the Navy and Clark Realty Capital, the Pacific Beacon Residential Complex located on the Naval Base, provides 941 fully furnished two-bedroom rental units for unaccompanied sailors. The military’s first privately run barracks, the 1.2 million-square-foot complex includes three 18-story residential buildings, and a 4-story parking garage.
9. The Village at Torrey Pines – La Jolla
Year Built: 2009 & 2011
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The Village at Torrey Pines, West, a dormitory project located on the University of California San Diego campus, includes seven 3- and 4-story low-rise buildings, and one 15-story tower totaling 305,000 square feet. The LEED Silver Tower Building 1 provides two-, three-, and four-bedroom units for 1,026 students, staff units, 14,000 SF of conference rooms, and 5,100 SF of retail space.
The 238,000-square-foot Village East high-end student housing is comprised of five residential buildings for 807 transfer students, including the Tower and and four low-rise “eco-flats”. The LEED Gold, 13-story Tower Building 1 includes 82 apartments, faculty office space, a dining facility, and a student market.
10. La Jolla Commons Tower II – University City
Year Built: 2013 & 2015
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The 13-floor commercial office building La Jolla Commons Tower II was developed by Hines at 4707 Executive Drive. One of the largest net-zero office buildings in the US, the 415,000-square-foot tower features a glass curtain wall, a gym, a game room, and a cafeteria. It is currently 100% leased to LPL Financial.
One La Jolla Center at 4655 Executive Drive is a LEED Silver, 15-story commercial office tower developed by The Irvine Company. Offering 306,000 square feet of office space and a five-level parking structure, it also features customer conveniences including a café, a state-of-the-art fitness center, conference rooms, and covered and WiFi-enabled outdoor work spaces.
Which developments are changing your San Diego neighborhood?
Contributor: Corie Bussell Paz, MPH is a writer in the real estate, travel, and woman’s health niche.
