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Council hears Midway Rising update: 4,250 units proposed including 2,000 affordable; draft EIR expected in November
Summary
City staff updated council on the Midway Rising ENA: developers propose 4,250 homes (2,000 affordable), a 16,000‑seat arena and parks; the ENA was administratively extended and the draft environmental impact report is expected in November. Public comment mixed support and criticism on affordability, disclosures and traffic.
Christina Bibler, the city’s director of economic development, gave a quarterly update on the Midway Rising exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA), saying the ENA has been administratively extended through Dec. 5, 2025, and that the development team proposes roughly 4,250 residential units, of which 2,000 would be affordable to households at or below 80% of area median income. Bibler said the proposal includes a 16,000‑seat sports arena, multiple parks and mixed‑use development, that the city selected Kaiser, Marks & Associates to analyze an enhanced infrastructure financing district (EIFD), and that a draft environmental impact report (EIR) is anticipated in November for public review.
Bibler described due diligence steps the city and the development team are undertaking — third‑party appraisals, an economic impact study, additional working groups on economics and affordable housing, and a city appraisal to determine land rent values. She said the timing of the EIFD work and the EIR aligns with further negotiation and public outreach.
Public comment ran long and highlighted both support and skepticism. Supporters — including nonprofit leaders, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, unions and neighborhood advocates — praised the commitment to 2,000 affordable units and the project’s potential for jobs and regional economic benefit. Nate Watkins of the Midway Pacific Highway planning group said community outreach has been strong and voiced optimism about housing commitments.
Critics urged caution. Laurie Saldana alleged past failures in lobbying disclosure and warned that promised components (she cited a missing hotel and 250 housing units from earlier commitments) had been removed; she also raised infrastructure concerns such as subsidence and the need for rigorous oversight. Speakers also pressed for stronger assurances that the affordable units would serve the lowest income tiers and for robust traffic and infrastructure mitigation in the EIR.
Development team representatives, including Shelby Jordan, said the team remains committed to the ENA terms presented and to continued community engagement; they also said pro forma and financing analyses are evolving and that the team is monitoring interest rates and other economic variables.
Because Item 200 was an informational update, no council vote was required. The council thanked staff and the development team and noted it looks forward to the public comment period once the draft EIR is released.
