Rep. Scott Peters on Friday said he is opposed to the concept of building a data center at the Navy's NAVWAR campus in San Diego's Midway District.
For more than two years, the Navy has been in talks with Manchester Financial Group and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate on redeveloping the site, which sits on 70 acres between Pacific Highway and Interstate 5. It currently houses the Navy's cybersecurity operations.
On Thursday, Voice of San Diego reported the development team was considering a 400-megawatt data center as part of the redevelopment.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, Peters said the site's location near downtown, I-5 and the Old Town Transit Center make it an ideal location for housing and neighborhood-serving amenities. Peters is a Democrat whose 50th District includes NAVWAR.
"It should be a new community, a new mini downtown if you will, right next to the highway with access to transportation, where we can have housing," Peters said. "A data center isn't neighborhood serving. It's not really something that belongs here. It belongs in a more remote, industrial place."
The Navy intends to lease the land to the development team in exchange for a new office complex on a nearby site. That would mean the project would not require an appropriation from Congress, giving lawmakers little to no leverage over the project's design. The site also does not need permits from the city of San Diego because it's owned by the federal government.
Ted Eldredge, president and CEO of Manchester Financial Group, said the development team was considering a variety of uses including a data center, hotel, medical center, university campus, defense industry campus and life science facility.
"The development team had early, informational conversations with energy providers to understand what might be feasible, but there are no negotiations underway and no agreements in place," Eldredge said in an email. "Regardless of the final design, it will be a mixed use development with homes as well as retail, commercial and industrial uses."
San Diego City Councilmember Marni von Wilpert said she had received briefings from Manchester Financial Group on the project, but that no one had ever suggested a data center might be included.
"They came to my office and showed me very glossy brochures, and they had PowerPoints over what the new community could look like," said von Wilpert, who is currently running to represent the 48th Congressional District. "Why do all that, and then I find out in the press that this is not your plan. That's not transparent. It's not fair."
The Navy is currently working on an updated environmental impact statement, which analyzes various options for the project. It is due to be released sometime in 2027.
