Midway Rising recently contracted with Virginia-based Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. to deliver engineering, survey, and mapping services for a new entertainment center and master plan for Pechanga Arena’s redevelopment.

The Midway Rising group, which includes Zephyr, Legends, and Chelsea Investment Corporation, is developing a master plan for the new entertainment center to replace Pechanga Arena (formerly San Diego Sports Arena) with a 16,000-seat facility.

“Bowman is dedicated to upholding the highest standard of services to ensure the new sports entertainment center aligns seamlessly with the vibrant vision of the Midway Districts revitalization,” said Greg Shields, principal at Bowman. “When PDC was acquired by Bowman, this was the kind of revenue synergy and growth opportunity we were hoping to realize. Our award of this project underscores Bowman’s commitment to contributing to developments that elevate and enrich communities.”

The new planned entertainment center stands as a significant cornerstone within the broader Midway Rising redevelopment initiative of breathing new life into surplus land within the Midway-Pacific Highway community. The master plan also includes 4,250 housing units with 2,000 designated as affordable housing units.

The Peninsula Beacon conducted a Q&A with Midway Rising’s team on the status of the redevelopment project and the newly envisioned sports arena.

Faro: Will the project no longer include 250 residential units that had been planned for middle-income housing, or a 200-room hotel?

Ascenso a mitad de camino: Midway Rising is proud to be the largest affordable housing project in California state history. As is common with transformational projects like this one, site due diligence revealed a pre-existing site condition – in this case, an immovable 96-inch sewer line – that has reshaped aspects of our original proposal. We remain committed to delivering a world-class entertainment center along with more than 4,000 homes, of which 2,000 will be affordable for working San Diegans.

Faro: What will it cost to build the new sports arena?

MR: On July 31, our team submitted an updated financial feasibility analysis, pro format, and financing plan to the City. Project design and entitlements are currently underway as negotiations with the City continue and details including cost projections will be available in the future when the entitlement stage is complete.

Faro: What will take the place of the old arena?

MR: In the first phase of construction, we will build a modern, 16,000-seat entertainment center on the eastern portion of the site, during which time the existing arena will remain open and operational to allow for continued sports and entertainment events and resulting revenues for the City. An intermingled neighborhood village of affordable and market-rate homes will be located on the western half of the site.

Faro: How long will construction take on the new sports arena?

MR: Construction of the new entertainment center is anticipated to take approximately two years.

Faro: Will the restaurants lining the property’s footprint be retained?

MR: No decisions regarding retaining and/or relocating existing site tenants have been made at this time.

Faro: Is there a possibility of luring any more sports teams in the future?

MR: The new entertainment center will feature a capacity of 16,000 seats and will be able to accommodate a variety of events including concerts, shows, music awards, and sporting events such as basketball or hockey tournaments, and combat sports.

Faro: Are there any existing sports arenas that may well serve as a prototype for the redevelopment?

MR: Legends has put its expertise to work in many cities, helping develop iconic destinations such as SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, The Star District in Frisco, Texas, and One World Observatory in New York City, among others. Together with world-renowned architectural firm Gensler, this project portfolio demonstrates our team’s capabilities as we look to bring a new, dynamic entertainment experience to San Diego.

Faro: Do you have an artist’s rendering of what the new sports arena will look like?

MR: Our team is currently working with world-renowned architectural firm Gensler to assist with the design of the new entertainment center, and we look forward to unveiling its design to San Diegans in the near future.

Faro: Will there be a direct tie-in between the new sports arena and buses, mass transit, and other alternative transportation modes?

MR: Our plans propose building a new mobility hub on the south side of the site, adjacent to Sports Arena Boulevard, to accommodate multi-modal forms of transportation and ride-sharing apps, such as Uber and Lyft, along with other regional transit connections such as MTS rapid bus transit stations.

Faro: What is the timetable for the redevelopment project?

MR: Our team is planning for multiple construction phases over a projected 10-year build-out, with an anticipated groundbreaking in 2025 following the environmental review process, approval of a long-term ground lease at the City Council, and acquiring site grading permits.