The city of San Diego is accepting letters of interest from developers to transform the old Central Library downtown into housing.
The Notice of Availability issued Tuesday follows a July decision by the San Diego City Council to declare the property surplus land, which requires the city to negotiate with developers willing to make 25% or more of the housing affordable to lower-income households.
"The Old Central Library site is prime real estate in Downtown San Diego, but it's in need of some TLC," Mayor Todd Gloria said. "By inviting proposals for its future, we are taking the first step toward transforming this long-vacant building into something that better servers our residents and contributes to a more vibrant downtown. I look forward to seeing creative ideas that honor its legacy while delivering real public value for San Diegans."
The property, located at 820 E St., was established as a library in 1902. In 1952, the Carnegie Library building was demolished and the new library opened at the same location two years later. The location closed permanently in 2013 to begin the process of transferring collections to the new Central Library at 330 Park Boulevard.
The city is seeking a developer who will "maximize the redevelopment potential of the site, while also paying fair market value for the property," a city statement read.
"All San Diegans will benefit when we breathe new life into this unused property," said Councilman Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown. "Downtown San Diego is the region's ideal location for new housing with its proximity to jobs and transit, and replacing this old vacant building with new affordable homes will significantly improve this area for downtown residents and visitors."
The building has been used as a temporary homeless shelter in recent years, but a city study found converting it to permanent shelter would cost upwards of $90 million.
"This unique property, situated in the heart of downtown, has great potential to be revived into a high-quality, mixed-use development that includes low- and moderate-income homes," said Economic Development Director Christina Bibler. "For nearly 60 years, the current building served as our residents' main library, and now we look forward to the next phase and how it can invigorate new life into this block and help us address our housing crisis."
Developers have until Monday, Nov. 3, to indicate their interest to the city. If an agreement is not reached for the sale or ground lease of the property under the Surplus Land Act, the city may then market the property to the general public with a lower affordable-housing requirement.
