San Diego State University will next week formalize its intent to buy 132-acres of city-owned land in Mission Valley, likely offering market value for the property alongside the promise of additional infrastructure to sweeten the deal.

Thursday, university leaders said during a media conference call that they would present purchase and sale terms in a public presentation to City Council on Monday. The public institution also agreed to build a much-discussed north-south roadway, known as the Fenton Parkway Bridge, that has been desired by the city for decades.

The coming-soon offer appears to be part of the university’s new-found resolve to negotiate without the secrecy required by its confidentially agreement with the city. And it trails the release of a draft site appraisal earlier this week, which assigns a fair market value of $68.2 million, in 2017 dollars, when factoring in more than $253 million in deductions.

“Earlier today SDSU sent a letter to the city ending the (memorandum of understanding) regarding confidentiality as we feel it no longer serves its purpose,” SDSU President Adela de la Torre told reporters. “We want to be transparent, and that is why we are here today. We are prepared to pay the appraised fair market value because that is what the land is worth.”


The statements bring to a head private talks with the city’s negotiating team that have been ongoing for nearly a year. In November, voters passed a citizens’ initiative that created a framework for SDSU to buy the property, where it is proposing to build a 35,000-capacity stadium and satellite campus in place of an existing stadium and parking lot. The university is simultaneously working to complete its environmental review of a campus master plan for the site in an effort to start building its football stadium early next year.

“We are encouraged by the steps SDSU has taken and look forward to receiving their offer on Monday,” said Christina Di Leva Chadwick, a spokeswoman for Mayor Kevin Faulconer.

Deal sticking points, such as the value of the property and project-related infrastructure needs, have surfaced in recent days through public documents. Last week, the city submitted 36 pages of comments in response to SDSU’s draft environment draft report. The remarks highlight a difference of opinion in a number of areas, but particularly as it relates to the university’s responsibility to lessen the traffic impacts of its proposed project.

De la Torre addressed the traffic-related concerns by announcing an all-new commitment. The university, she said, is now prepared to extend Fenton Parkway over the San Diego River to Camino Del Rio North at a cost of $21 million, although it expects to be partially reimbursed by the city. The planned bridge, anticipated since the 1980s, has been described as a critical piece of infrastructure in Mission Valley. Although the bridge’s location would be immediately adjacent to the site, SDSU had not planned to build or pay for the new roadway.


“Following a separate environmental review, SDSU is willing to fund up-front and take responsibility for constructing a two-lane at-grade Fenton Parkway Bridge,” she said.

Whether the concession is enough to sway the city’s negotiators remains to be determined, in part because the two sides still disagree on key deal terms.

The city, for instance, believes the site’s value is closer to $86.2 million when factoring in conditions outlined in the ballot measure approved by voters. The university, according to the city, must also assume control over Murphy Canyon Creek, which runs parallel to the site and sometimes floods the area. However, SDSU maintains that the creek is the city’s responsibility.

