The development company Protea Properties announced plans Wednesday to build a 156-unit mixed-use apartment building adjacent to a future trolley station at Clairemont Drive.
The Bayview Plaza project will feature about 40,000 square feet of retail space in addition to the apartments, 16 of which will be made affordable for families earning 50 percent of the county's area median income. The complex, on the corner of Morena Boulevard and Clairemont Drive, will also include 150 parking spaces for trolley riders.
"We are excited to bring this project to market, as it represents the future of development in San Diego," Protea Properties President Jeffrey Essakow said. "It's more walkable, there is less reliance on the automobile, and it will provide housing for people of varying income levels."
The project is one of several that will appear in the coming years along the Morena Boulevard Corridor, which will include several future trolley stations as San Diego's Metropolitan Transit System completes the $2.17 billion Mid-Coast Trolley Blue Line Extension of trolley service from downtown San Diego to University City.
Earlier this month, the San Diego City Council tentatively approved two plans to amend the city's Pacific Beach and Linda Vista community plans to allow for the development of an additional 9,138 housing units within a half-mile of planned trolley stops at Morena Boulevard's intersection with Clairemont Drive, Tecolote Road and Balboa Avenue.
Although those amendments will require a second vote from the council later this year for ratification, the council unanimously approved both of them on their first reading.
Protea Properties aims to create a "neighborhood town center" with Bayview Plaza, with potential retail uses including restaurants, office space, a market and a fitness center. The project will also include additional transportation features for trolley riders such as charging stations for dockless bikes and scooters, bike parking and real-time trolley schedules.
"The team's objective was to balance the needs of transit riders, neighbors, commercial tenants and residents," said Andrew Malick, the project's development director. "We believe we've found the right formula that makes a safe and comfortable place for everyone. This project will be a valuable asset not just for the neighborhood, but also the region."
