Caught in the middle of a government pickle, the San Diego Padres are now drafting a proposal to completely redo the four-block, city-owned parcel where the team currently operates the popular parking lot known as Tailgate Park.

The Major League Baseball club Thursday told the Union-Tribune that it will later this year pitch a mixed-use project that will include housing, retail and office space for the 7.65-acre site, which is bordered by 12th Avenue, K Street, 14th Street and Imperial Avenue.

The early-stage redevelopment effort comes as the city prepares to offload the property through a competitive bidding process.

“The strategic value of this land to the ballpark is enormous,” said Erik Greupner, who is president of business operations for the Padres. “We feel a sense of obligation to develop it in a way with the greatest positive impact to downtown and the greater San Diego region.”


A city-owned asset since the formation of the ballpark district, Tailgate Park’s destiny has since the early 2000s been predetermined, with its use shifting to something far more than a parking lot alongside the expected maturation of downtown’s East Village. The property was at one point being eyed by the former San Diego Chargers, which had hoped to build a downtown football stadium.

The lot’s present-day value, however, is in serving as the only dedicated tailgate area for Padres’ fans. The organization holds a long-term lease with the city that runs through 2042 including options, although there are provisions that allow for modification of the property so long as the Padres are compensated for lost revenue and the parking spaces are replaced.

In 2018, the team paid $622,991 to rent the property and its 1,060 spaces, with the sum accounting for shared revenue from concerts and other events.

Despite the agreement, the city of San Diego has decided to sell or lease the land for redevelopment, recently turning to real estate brokerage JLL Capital Markets to advertise the property to would-be investors.


In marketing materials posted online, the firm is promoting the site as “East Village Square,” and presenting buyers with, “a rare development opportunity in the heart of downtown, San Diego’s largest job center and best performing apartment submarket.”

The offering notes that the 251,776 square-foot lot could support as much as 4 million square feet of office, hotel, retail, residential and entertainment spaces.

The listing is a precursor to the city’s standard bidding process, which will tentatively start with a request for qualifications in December and be followed by a request for proposals in March. The Padres will be an active participant as the city moves forward with procuring bids, Greupner said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon.

“We plan to respond to the city’s request for proposals and share our vision for Tailgate Park,” he said, without disclosing project specifics or potential partners. “It will be a transformative mixed-use development ... with dedicated parking for the ballpark.”


The city of San Diego did not provide an explanation as to why Tailgate Park is being marketed for sale at this time but said through a spokesperson that it is required by state law to have the site developed.

That’s because Tailgate Park was originally acquired by San Diego’s now-defunct redevelopment agency. In 2012, when redevelopment agencies were dissolved by the state, the agency transferred the land to the city for the sole purpose of future development. As such, it has been on a State Department of Finance-approved list of properties that must be managed in a very specific way.

“The city took the initiative to list the property,” Greupner said. “We want to let everybody know we’re in and we have a plan. ... We will respond with an offer that is competitive and in line with fair market value.”

The disposition of former redevelopment assets such as Tailgate Park is being overseen by Civic San Diego, downtown’s one-time planning agency now acting only as a consultant to the city.