Doyle is the chair of the SDSU Campanile Foundation and lives in San Diego. Kilkenny is a member of the Friends of SDSU executive committee that drafted the 2018 SDSU West initiative and lives in Carlsbad.
We are quick to condemn public disappointments but don’t pause to celebrate civic victories.
In 2018, the city of San Diego voters approved the “SDSU West” ballot measure, authorizing the city to sell the Mission Valley stadium site to San Diego State University to build a new stadium, river park and university expansion that would include an innovation district, commercial center, and market rate and affordable housing.
Last month, Major League Soccer and SDSU announced the league had awarded San Diego an MLS franchise that will begin play in February 2025 at SDSU’s Snapdragon Stadium. This is just the most recent impressive achievement in a long string of successes for SDSU Mission Valley, with more on the horizon.
SDSU purchased the Mission Valley site from the city at fair market value in June 2020. Within days, the university broke ground on its new stadium. Snapdragon Stadium was completed on time and on budget in September.
It was an immediate success, and was just nominated by the Sports Business Journal as the nation’s “sports facility of the year.”
Snapdragon Stadium was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certifications from the U.S. Green Building Council for incorporating water savings, energy efficiency, sustainable materials and indoor environmental quality. The underlying land plan was awarded LEED Neighborhood Development certification for being designed and built with sustainable strategies, receiving its highest marks for deg pedestrian- and bike-friendly streets in a transit-oriented neighborhood.
In February 2022, the San Diego Legion of Major League Rugby announced Snapdragon Stadium would be its new home beginning in 2023.
The San Diego Wave of the National Women’s Soccer League moved to Snapdragon Stadium in September and sold out its first game at the new stadium, setting a league attendance record of 30,854 fans.
The San Diego Seals played the National Lacrosse League’s first-ever outdoor game at the stadium in March.
Snapdragon Stadium is not just a home for sporting events. It has already proved to be an exciting entertainment venue with future concerts slated for Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses and Pink.
By any measure, the new stadium is a remarkable triumph for the university and the community. But SDSU Mission Valley is more than a stadium, much more.
In many ways, the best is yet to come.
- SDSU will complete the 34-acre river park by the end of this year. The park will provide recreation, open space, flood protection and a needed buffer to cleanse stormwater entering the San Diego River. The site will include six multi-use fields for soccer, rugby, flag football and a variety of youth sports. There will be picnic areas, fitness equipment, basketball courts, a skate area and play structures. A 2-mile pedestrian and bike trail will run through the river park and connect to the regional trail system.
- Last fall, SDSU chose AvalonBay Communities to construct approximately 600 market-rate apartments, along with approximately 30,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, including a grocery store. To provide parking for residents, visitors and stores, the plan includes three levels of parking. Homes are expected to be available in 2026.
- In March, SDSU selected LPC West to build the first innovation district project, the initial step of 1.6 million square feet of office, technology, laboratory and research space. The project will provide 315,000 square feet of research facilities and parking structures to the innovation district and the stadium. SDSU will occupy around 50,000 square feet of research space while QuidelOrtho, Naval Health Research and Family Health Centers are planned to co-locate in the new facilities. Innovation district space is planned to open in 2026.
- In April, SDSU selected Chelsea Investment Corp. to develop the first affordable housing project at SDSU Mission Valley, 292 one- to four-bedroom apartments. Ultimately, SDSU Mission Valley will provide 460 affordable housing units. The Chelsea project will include a daycare facility open to all SDSU Mission Valley residents. Homes should be completed in 2027.
- The university has committed to constructing the long-needed Fenton Parkway bridge crossing the San Diego River, greatly improving traffic circulation in Mission Valley. The bridge is now being designed and initiating environmental review. Completion of the bridge is dependent upon how quickly environmental permits are approved.
SDSU proved that big and bold public projects can be built in San Diego, thanks to the vision and tenacity of the late SDSU President Emerita Sally Roush, SDSU President Adela de la Torre, Athletic Director John David Wicker, Associate Vice President Gina Jacobs and many other dedicated servants.
Let’s pause to celebrate this civic victory.
