After 30 years, yes that’s right 30 years, Manchester Pacific Gateway is finally getting to the city’s review agency. Making it one step closer to becoming a reality. After the last 9 years being the main battle for everyone involved in the process which began when the lease was purchased in 2006 by none other than Doug Manchester, former publisher for the San Diego Union Tribune and builder to multiple San Diego hotels. This will ultimately be San Diego’s most expensive project with a price tag of about $1.3 billion covering 8 city blocks and 13.7 acres. One objection comes from City Council Director Murtaza Baxamusa due to the fact that the City Council won’t have any final say in the development. “We’re analyzing a product design for 1992 because that’s what this responds to,” Baxamusa said. “We’re in 2015 now and we’re supposed to ignore all the information that’s come out since, including sea-level rise?” Even with these concerns directors have reminded the board of all the limits in place restricting what can actually be done, including a 1987 federal law as well as the 1992 development agreement in place to limit what locals can do about federally owned land. With all the technical and legal stuff almost figured out it will be exciting to see this coming to life. The construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2016 and it is projected that completion will be in 2019. The new development will include 7 buildings which will house a luxury hotel, a convention hotel, a military museum, an 18 story Navy headquarters, and 2 blocks of office towers. Along with all this will be a 1.9 acre park and 288,000 square feet of retail space. This will open new job opportunities and economic growth in business, retail, and hospitality venues. It’s location makes it easily accessible for locals and tourist alike with a trolley station 1 block away, an amtrak/coaster commuter 2 blocks away, the San Diego airport only being 2 miles away, and with the Coronado ferry and local metro bus within blocks. It will also house 2,896 parking spaces on two underground levels for public use. It will be astonishing to see this all come to life from the beginning to end. With comparisons already being made to New York’s Rockefeller Center and Chicago’s Millennium Park it is amazing to have our beautiful luxurious city brought to that level.