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Seaport San Diego developers hear project needs more work

An architect's rendering of part of the proposed Seaport San Diego project. <br/>
courtesy of Seaport San Diego. Master Architect: CallisonRTKL Inc.; Iconic Tower: BIG; Landscape: OJB
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port of San Diego
An architect's rendering of part of the proposed Seaport San Diego project. The spiral building in the background is being called an observation tower. It is the developer's proposal for an "iconic feature" that would define San Diego's skyline akin to Seattle's Space Needle.

The project to transform San Diego’s Central Embarcadero went before San Diego's Port Commissioners and the public on Thursday. And the verdict is, it needs more work. The $3.5 billion redevelopment plan extends along the coast replacing Seaport Village and ends south of the USS Midway Museum. As the price tag suggests, it is an enormous project, including multiple high-rise hotels, retail and restaurant space, new marinas for more boats as well as open space, parks and a seafood processing facility.

Many aspects of the plan have met with Port approval but developers were advised to make some significant changes. One of the criticisms from port commissioners and the public was that the combination of high-rise hotels and additional boat slips ruin the view of the waterfront.

An architect's rendering of the proposed dockside seafood market as part of the Seaport San Diego development project.
courtesy of Seaport San Diego. Master Architect: CallisonRTKL Inc.; Iconic Tower: BIG; Landscape: OJB
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Port of San Diego
An architect's rendering of the proposed dockside seafood market as part of the Seaport San Diego development project.

"We feel San Diego has a need for boat slips on the water but obviously the view issues which we heard loud and clear are a priority so we will be reducing them," Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen, CEO and partner of 1HWY1, the developer for the Seaport San Diego Project said. "The second thing we heard is that we need to continue working with the fishermen to continue to refine their needs."

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Gaffen joined Midday Edition on Tuesday to talk about the status of the project.