What Will Become of Blimp Hangar?
Tustin
searches for developer to create 'urban village' at site
While few details are available, initial plans from OliverMcMillan call for a 123-acre development blending residential, commercial, office and entertainment uses.
TUSTIN – Plans are advancing to give one of Tustin’s
historic blimp hangars new life, as part of an “urban village” in the heart of
the Tustin Legacy community.
The City Council will vote Tuesday night on an exclusive
agreement with OliverMcMillan – which helped redevelop San Diego’s famed
Gaslamp Quarter – to draft plans for a mixed-used project that will incorporate
the 73-year-old former military hangar.
While few details are available, initial plans from OliverMcMillan call for a 123-acre development blending residential, commercial, office and entertainment uses.
The company wants to build up and out along a grid of short,
walkable blocks, according to John Buchanan, Tustin’s deputy director of
economic development.
“It’s a joint effort to come up with a plan that not only is
pedestrian friendly and an exciting place to be, but also we want to make sure
it’s financially feasible,” Buchanan said.
The project is proposed for the former Marine Corps Air
Station, between Tustin Ranch Road and Armstrong Avenue, north of Warner Avenue
up to the logical extension of Moffett Drive. It does not include the northern
hangar, which Orange County controls and
also hopes to one day redevelop.
The surrounding area has long been discussed as a potential
site for a baseball
stadium that could host the Angels if the
team is unable to settle ongoing disputes over its lease in Anaheim.
The OliverMcMillan proposal specifically mentions the
potential for “sports-based uses.” While the Angels chatter continues, Buchanan
said other venues have also been proposed.
“I think what we tried to do is keep it open, whether it’s
baseball or soccer or something else,” he said.
Many ideas have been tossed around over the years for how to
reuse the hangar, a 17-story wooden structure built by the Navy in 1942.
Suggestions have included a museum, a farmers market and shops – all of which
are still possible, Buchanan said.
However, a number of complex, moving pieces still have to
come together before the project can move forward.
The city is finalizing a study that’s been underway since
June 2014 to determine options and cost estimates for getting the aging hangar
ready for future uses. That study should be complete in around two months,
Buchanan said, with testing for wind resistance and fire dangers still pending.
Next there’s the matter of who owns the property.
Roughly half of the project land is owned by the city. The
city leases the other 60 acres, including the hangar site, from the Navy, which
is still doing environmental remediation there. Tustin should take over
ownership of the land once that cleanup is resolved – likely in about two
years.
Then there’s the lack of infrastructure. Utilities on the
property are too old to be useful, Buchanan said. And while Tustin has extended
several area roads in anticipation of the development, Moffett Drive still
likely needs to be continued west to Armstrong Avenue.
In looking for a developer to take on the challenging
project, Tustin staff sought a company with experience reusing military bases
and historic structures, Buchanan said. OliverMcMillian stood out for its work
in San Diego, Houston, Atlanta and on the former Glenview Naval Air Station in
Illinois, where the company incorporated a historic control tower into a
mixed-use village.
If Tustin’s City Council approves the agreement with
OliverMcMillan, both the city and the company will commit to spending up to
$1.5 million each as they work together over the next several years to develop
a concept plan, business plan and development agreement.
A specific development proposal would then likely be brought
back to the City Council for a decision sometime in 2018.
In the meantime, Buchanan said the hangar will continue to
be used for special events and other temporary leases so long as it remains
safe to do so.
DISCLAIMER: This blog/article
has been curated from an alternate source and is designed for informational
purposes to highlight the commercial real estate market. It solely represents
the opinion of the specific blogger/author and does not necessarily represent
the opinion of Pacific Coast Commercial.
All content provided
on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes
no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this
site or found by following any link on this site. The owner of will not be liable for any
errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this
information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages
from the display or use of this information.
Keywords: San Diego Commercial Real
Estate For Sale, Commercial Property In San Diego, Commercial Real Estate In
San Diego, San Diego Investment Real Estate, Commercial Property Management In
San Diego, San Diego Commercial Property Management, Commercial Property
Management San Diego, Managed Commercial Property San Diego, Commercial
Property For Sale San Diego, San Diego Commercial Real Estate Leasing
Comments
Post a Comment