The proposed $1 billion-plus redevelopment of Qualcomm Stadium property, dubbed “SoccerCity,” would include up to 4,800 homes, more than 3 million square feet of office and retail space, 55 acres of parks and nearly as many parking spaces as currently exist at the 166-acre site, according to plans released Monday.

Nearly 1,300 student and low-income housing units, public soccer fields, three residential high-rises up to 26 stories, two hotels with a total of 450 rooms and reserved space for a second trolley line and station are in the mix — all connected by landscaped promenades, plazas and bike paths.

Nick Stone, left, partner with FS Investors, and Steve Altman, former Qualcomm president, detail their proposal to redevelop the Qualcomm Stadium site. (David Brooks / San Diego Union-Tribune)

That’s what the San Diego River Park, SoccerCity and Qualcomm Stadium Redevelopment Specific Plan lays out in a stack of documents made public for the first time. La Jolla-based FS Investors is the group aiming to bring major league soccer to San Diego by 2020 and redevelop the Qualcomm site.


The master plan is expected to be developed over the next 15 to 20 years and generate property, sales and hotel room taxes that would turn a city liability, costing $12 million annually in maintenance and operations, into an asset.

The San Diego Trolley’s Blue Line would remain in place with added retail and creative space north of the transit station. (Gensler)

“If ever there was a location to do smart, transit-oriented development, it is here,” said Nick Stone, one of the FS Investors principals.

The group proposes to lease 79.9 acres of the Qualcomm site and then buy it in phases at fair market value in its unentitled and unimproved state. The city’s appraisal process would be used to set the price. Outside estimates per acre have ranged from $300,000 of unimproved land to $3 million for fully entitled and infrastructure-serving land.


Stone said the design and development plans by the Gensler architectural firm have been shared behind the scenes over the last few weeks with Mayor Kevin Faulconer, San Diego State University, business leaders and environmentalists.

“This concept offers exciting opportunities for major league soccer, more parkland and Aztecs football without public subsidy,” Faulconer said in a statement. “Now it’s time to examine the plan in detail to make sure it makes sense for taxpayers. I look forward to reviewing the proposal presented to the public today, as well as the public discussion to come.”

The proponents will now present their plan to San Diego city voters in the form of a ballot initiative, due for publication Thursday, that will require about 72,000 registered voters to become valid. The goal is collect the signatures between mid-March and the end of April and submit them to the city clerk to certify in 30 days.

The City Council will be asked to fast-track the process by approving the plan in June, rather than refer the initiative to voters, in time to meet Major League Soccer deadlines for granting new franchises this year. The developers would have to build a stadium by 2024 or else the land would revert back to the city.


FS Investors is led by Mike Stone (unrelated to Nick Stone) and backed by five other investors. Nick Stone said they have the financial muscle to fund the project that could run into hundreds of millions of dollars before the first apartment is rented or gastropub opens.

“This is a bunch of San Diegans trying to do something great for the city of San Diego,” Nick Stone said.

The stadium could either be built for soccer only 22,000 seats or for soccer and Aztec football with 32,000, expandable to 40,000. South of the stadium are retail and office buildings, seen at right. (Gensler)


One alternative has called for the city to donate the land to SDSU, where it could create a west campus needed to support an expected 10,000-student increase over the next few years.

“The San Diego taxpayer is welcomed to give a $1 billion tax base to the state of California — the city gets to choose that,” Stone said. “That is a choice available to the taxpayer.”

Stone’s group does plan to donate its half-interest in the soccer stadium and the underlying site to the university. But the rest of the site would be sold to builders who would be bound by the master plan. SDSU could either buy some of the land and develop it itself or sign leases with builders to occupy space needed by the campus.

SDSU is identified as a potential stadium partner for its football program, but the university has sent increasingly lukewarm signals about its support of the plan -- first in a carefully-worded statement released Wednesday and then in a Union-Tribune interview Sunday with Athletic Director John David Wicker.


The statement said the university is “engaged in conversations with multiple parties” about developing the Mission Valley site and has “not made a commitment to partner with any specific party at this time.” FS Investors is never named.

Wicker confirmed SDSU officials have spoken with other groups about the Mission Valley site, adding:

“We’re interested to see what other plans might be out there to make sure we’re getting the best deal for the university in the long run … It’s important for everyone to see what this plan is, what the initiative says, and take a hard look at it and understand it.


“But I do think it’s important to have the opportunity for others to present what they might do with (the land). A competitive process generally turns out a better opportunity at the end of the day.”

Wicker said the university has had several discussions with FS Investors about its needs but had not seen the final plan in advance of its public unveiling Monday.

Asked if that was cause for concern, he said, “It gives you pause, because you want to understand what exactly is in the plan.”

Potential snags in the deal with SDSU include stadium size and an opportunity to expand to 40,000 seats in a way that, Wicker said, “is not cost prohibitive”; eventual ownership of the land under the stadium; additional land for university expansion; and parking and traffic mitigation in an already congested Mission Valley corridor.


“If (the project) is like a Chargers game day every day and we’re trying to introduce another 30,000 heading into the stadium,” Wicker said, “that just exacerbates the situation and makes it worse.”

Campus spokeswoman Gina Jacobs issued an official statement Monday that threw into question SDSU’s willingness to partner with FS Investors:

“We have reviewed the renderings and descriptions presented by FS Investors and we wish to clarify two critical issues:

“First, given the proposed density of development in the stadium area, there is no prospect for future expansion to 40,000 seats.


“Second, while the proposed gift of stadium ownership may convey tax advantages to FS Investors, it conveys no revenue or rights of ownership normally associated with a gift. We look forward to working with the mayor, the City Council and the San Diego community to construct a mixed-use stadium that will serve the needs of SDSU’s top 25-football program.”

In response, Stone said his group has been meeting with SDSU for months and intends to continue discussions in hopes of reaching an acceptable compromise.

“If another plan exists that exceeds these benefits, it should be presented for the public’s consideration for full transparency,” Stone said in a statement Monday afternoon. “It’s what the public and the taxpayers deserve. In the meantime, we look forward to working proactively with city leaders to advance our solution for all parties.”

The FS Investors’ master plan sets aside 16 acres for a possible new NFL stadium that could be built just west of Qualcomm. But an NFL team would have only five years to buy or lease the land at a cost that reflects SoccerCity infrastructure improvements. The NFL team would be responsible for building its stadium, not FS Investors. If the NFL declines, the site could be built out for housing and retail.


The firm offers to build the soccer stadium to accommodate SDSU’s football program if the university raises $100 million of the projected $200 million cost. FS offers to donate its portion back to SDSU. If SDSU bows out, FS would build a soccer stadium with up to 22,000 seats. An Aztec/MLS stadium would include up to 32,000 seats with expansion possible to 40,000 later. A soccer-only stadium would include up to 22,000 seats.

Among the many environmental issues covered in the master plan and supporting documents, comparable to what would be prepared for environmental impact reports, are flooding, reduced by raising the site two feet above the floodplain; traffic, alleviated by a projected $45 million by widening, signalizing and encouraging more noncar use.

Six soccer playing fields are planned north and south of the stadium. (Gensler)


Plan details include planning for a possible major corporate campus to take some of the 2.4 million square feet of office space; signing up food and beverage tenants in some of the 740,000 square feet of retail, plus a cinema complex; building 800 student apartments in the first phase; sharing parking between visitors and onsite residents and office workers; covering about $40 million to build the 34-acre San Diego River Park and building another 21 acres of play fields and neighborhood parks.


The events plaza includes a grand staircase (seen where the crowd is gathering) that leads to the main soccer stadium entrance. Offices and retail space encircle the plaza. (Gensler)

Next steps

(Dates subject to change)


Thursday: Initiative and specific plan published as a legal notice in Union-Tribune.

Initiative and specific plan published as a legal notice in Union-Tribune. Mid-March: Petition signature gathering commences with about 120,000 signatures from city registered voters sought.

Petition signature gathering commences with about 120,000 signatures from city registered voters sought. End of April: Petitions turned into city clerk for certification of the required 72,000 signatures qualify for the ballot

Petitions turned into city clerk for certification of the required 72,000 signatures qualify for the ballot Mid-June: City Council requested to approve the initiative rather than place it on the ballot

City Council requested to approve the initiative rather than place it on the ballot Fall: Major League Soccer picks at least two soccer expansion teams; SDSU decides if it will contribute toward a soccer/football facility.

Major League Soccer picks at least two soccer expansion teams; SDSU decides if it will contribute toward a soccer/football facility. 2018: Site work begins followed by construction of the soccer stadium and first phase of residential and commercial development and offsite improvements

Site work begins followed by construction of the soccer stadium and first phase of residential and commercial development and offsite improvements March 2020: First MLS games held; construction begins on San Diego River Park

First MLS games held; construction begins on San Diego River Park 2022: NFL and prospective San Diego team must sign lease for 16-acre professional football stadium at the site

NFL and prospective San Diego team must sign lease for 16-acre professional football stadium at the site 2030-35: Completion of site development, dependent on market conditions

The stadium’s upper deck would be designed so that bleacher-like seats could be rolled back to create an open patio for parties and special events (Gensler)

SoccerCity: By the numbers

(Cost estimates subject to change)

Site: 166 acres plus 67 acres north of Friars Road and south of San Diego River for SDSU athletics and Murphy Canyon training facility for soccer academy

166 acres plus 67 acres north of Friars Road and south of San Diego River for SDSU athletics and Murphy Canyon training facility for soccer academy Use: 4,800 homes including 800 student apartments and 480 affordable units and three 300-foot high-rises of up to 26 stories; 2.4 million square feet of office space, including room for a major corporate campus and usable for SDSU faculty and classrooms; 740,000 square feet of retail space, 450 rooms in two hotels; 55 acres of parkland, play fields and neighborhood parks; 16,400 parking spaces; 16-acre site reserved for new NFL stadium; average daily trips at buildout, 71,535

4,800 homes including 800 student apartments and 480 affordable units and three 300-foot high-rises of up to 26 stories; 2.4 million square feet of office space, including room for a major corporate campus and usable for SDSU faculty and classrooms; 740,000 square feet of retail space, 450 rooms in two hotels; 55 acres of parkland, play fields and neighborhood parks; 16,400 parking spaces; 16-acre site reserved for new NFL stadium; average daily trips at buildout, 71,535 Cost: More than $1 billion in construction cost; $150 million for MLS franchise; $200 million for 32,000-seat MLS/Aztec football stadium, half covered by SDSU, expandable to 40,000 seats (22,000-seat only MLS stadium as alternative, costing about $100 million); land cost subject to city appraisal; onsite improvements of about $60 million; $45 million for offsite traffic improvements; $40 million for San Diego River Park; $15 million to demolish Qualcomm Stadium

More than $1 billion in construction cost; $150 million for MLS franchise; $200 million for 32,000-seat MLS/Aztec football stadium, half covered by SDSU, expandable to 40,000 seats (22,000-seat only MLS stadium as alternative, costing about $100 million); land cost subject to city appraisal; onsite improvements of about $60 million; $45 million for offsite traffic improvements; $40 million for San Diego River Park; $15 million to demolish Qualcomm Stadium More information will be posted at goalsd.com, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Soccer City would include up to 4,800 homes, more than 3 million square feet of offices and retail, 55 acres of parks and nearly as many parking spaces as currently exist at the current Qualcomm Stadium site.Gensler (Gensler /)


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roger.showley@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-1286; Twitter: @rogershowley