Congratulations to the University of San Diego’s Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate Team!

The team submitted the winning redevelopment plan called “Delta District” for the San Diego SPAWAR site in the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) 9th annual University Challenge.

The goal of the University Challenge was to create a development plan exemplifying the highest and best use for the proposed site, the 48.7-acre eastern portion of the SPAWAR property, located between the I-5 Freeway and Pacific Highway in San Diego’s Midway District. The USD team submitted a $1.6 billion, 4.15-million-square-foot plan, proposing an innovative multi-purpose center that promotes San Diego’s identity of cultural, social, and economic diversity. The plan includes a mix of uses including housing (market rate, affordable, co-living, and military transitional), hotel, retail, and office as well as establishing a hub for veteran services and micro rental units marketed toward military personnel. It was important to create a site that celebrated San Diego’s military history while providing beneficial public amenities.

SGPA Architecture and Planning was honored to give guidance to the USD team throughout the competition. Our team worked together with the students to advise in the design, building mass, structure, product type, and urban planning of the project. This was SGPA’s second year participating as a mentor for the competition, and the win marks USD’s second time coming home with the trophy. SGPA greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to work with the future leaders of the San Diego real estate field.

Special thanks to all the students involved on the USD team: Alex Barachinni, Zachary Burns, Mitch DiLorenzo, Claire Hunn, Alex Spangler, and Ryan Todd; as well as their advisors: Stath Karras [Executive Director of the Burnham Moores Center for Real Estate] and Jake Schwartz [Vice President of Development at Urban Housing Partners].

Thank you to our team at SGPA: Hilary Backman [Senior Designer], Janette Tropea [Residential Mixed-Use Studio Leader], and Zachary Palmer [Assistant Designer].

Go Toreros!

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