An exclusive negotiation agreement to plan the redevelopment of the Escondido Transit Center has been granted to Toll Brothers Apartment Living and the Waterford Property Co.
The proposed plan featured apartments, retail stores, offices and other commercial uses, which is different than it looks now.
“The site here at Escondido will include approximately 528 housing units, 15% of which will be affordable,” said Chris Orlando, chief planning and communications officer for North County Transit District.
Orlando said the proposal won’t reduce the amount of rider options available.
“Transit offered here will be similar, the same or grow as our system grows. What will change, is we will have a closer connection from when you get off the Breeze bus and when you get onto the Sprinter train, it'll be much closer,” Orlando said about the Escondido site.
Leo Farias is a regular transit rider who travels from Escondido to Coronado and back. He walks 30 minutes before beginning his public transit ride.
Farias said he liked the proposed plan with one condition.
“I think that would help a lot, at least if I was able to get housing over here, closer to the transit center,” the 24-year-old said.
Escondido is 1 of 11 Sprinter and Coaster train stations throughout North County, where the district is pursuing mixed-use developments.
“Efforts like this are part of a really broad plan to not only bring back ridership to where it was, but to really push further and to create transit centers that activate and generate organic sources of ridership,” Orlando said. “What that means is ridership right at the location where the transit is located.”
Construction for the Escondido property could begin in 2026.
