SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — There is a bold new vision to turn the Navy complex that includes SPAWAR on Pacific Highway into a "Grand Central Station" for San Diego that links people to the airport by mass public transit.
Mayor Kevin Faulconer and SANDAG executive director Hasan Ikhrata will submit a proposal to the Navy to turn the 70-acre Naval Base Point Loma Old Town Complex into a mixed-use transit center. Linking the airport to the trolley is a goal that has eluded public officials for years.
"Enough talking," Ikhrata said. "We either put up or shut up."
The opportunity could be coming because the Navy is seeking public-private partnerships to develop the site. Faulconer says he envisions a mixed-use center that could include housing and retail.
"This is our opportunity," he said. "All of the pieces are coming together. We have to seize it."
SPAWAR, which designs communications and information systems for the Navy, would remain on-site.
The project would include a people-mover that connects travelers to the terminals, which are three miles away by car.
Ihkrata says it's still too early to determine cost and how to pay for it, but he said it would be in the billions.
SANDAG expects to submit its idea to the Navy this month. It will then hold stakeholder meetings, with renderings expected by June.
