San Diego Metro Development
Largest Developments Shaping the Region
Several large-scale projects are reshaping how San Diego grows, from new housing and mixed-use communities in Mission Valley to major waterfront, transportation, military, and entertainment projects throughout the metro area.
Some are already under construction, while others remain in planning, environmental review, permitting, or negotiation. Together, they offer a useful look at where future housing, recreation, infrastructure, employment, and public investment may be concentrated.
Mission Valley
Riverwalk San Diego
Riverwalk is one of the largest redevelopment projects underway in Mission Valley, transforming approximately 200 acres of former golf-course land into a transit-oriented mixed-use community.
At full build-out, the project is planned to include approximately 4,300 residences, including income-qualified housing, along with retail, office space, parks, open space, and restoration along the San Diego River.
The first phase is currently under construction and is expected to introduce more than 700 residential units, a village green, grocery-anchored retail, and a new trolley station. Riverwalk is especially significant because it combines large-scale housing growth with transit access and more than 100 acres of planned parks and open space.
View Riverwalk Project →Mission Valley
Civita
Civita is a roughly 230-acre master-planned community built on the site of a former sand and gravel quarry in central Mission Valley.
The community is planned around nearly 5,000 homes, substantial retail and office space, parks, pedestrian connections, and neighborhood amenities. Civita Park serves as one of its defining features, helping create a more walkable urban-village environment within Mission Valley.
Unlike a single construction project, Civita has been developed incrementally over many years. Its mix of apartments, townhomes, condominiums, retail, hospitality, recreation, and public spaces makes it one of the clearest examples of Mission Valley's shift from lower-density commercial land toward mixed-use residential neighborhoods.
View Civita Overview →Midway / Point Loma
Sports Arena Redevelopment / Midway Rising
The proposed redevelopment of the existing San Diego Sports Arena property could substantially reshape the Midway District.
The Midway Rising proposal covers the approximately 49-acre city-owned site and calls for 4,250 housing units, including 2,000 affordable units, along with a new 16,000-seat arena, a central urban park, and an entertainment, arts, and cultural district.
The project remains subject to negotiations, environmental review, approvals, and other legal and planning steps. If ultimately implemented at the proposed scale, it would represent one of the largest concentrations of new housing and mixed-use development in the central San Diego area.
View Midway Rising →Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach Pier Replacement
San Diego is moving forward with plans for a replacement of the aging Ocean Beach Pier, one of the most recognizable public landmarks along the city's coastline.
Following extensive public outreach and development of a preferred design concept, the Ocean Beach Pier Renewal project has entered the permitting and environmental review phase.
The replacement is intended to provide a more resilient long-term structure while preserving public access to the ocean and the role the pier plays in the identity of Ocean Beach. The City's current estimated total project cost is approximately $170 million to $190 million, although funding, permitting, design, and construction milestones remain ahead.
View Pier Renewal Project →Old Town / Midway-Pacific Highway
NAVWAR / Navy Old Town Campus Revitalization
The Navy Old Town Campus Revitalization Project—commonly referred to as the NAVWAR redevelopment—could eventually transform approximately 70 acres near Old Town, Pacific Highway, and the Midway District.
The Navy's primary objective is to replace aging World War II-era facilities with modern, mission-capable space for NAVWAR and other commands. The project requires approximately 1.7 million square feet of new Navy office, laboratory, warehouse, and support space.
Under a potential leasing approach, portions of the site could also accommodate mixed-use development such as housing, commercial uses, and potentially transportation improvements. The Navy is currently conducting environmental analysis while working with Manchester Financial Group and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate during an exclusive negotiation period.
View NAVWAR Revitalization →Downtown Waterfront
Seaport San Diego
Seaport San Diego is a proposed redevelopment of a major portion of the Central Embarcadero, including the existing Seaport Village area, Tuna Harbor, Embarcadero Marina Park North, and nearby waterfront property.
The current proposal includes an extensive mix of parks and plazas, waterfront promenades, hotels, restaurants, retail, visitor attractions, piers and marinas, commercial fishing facilities, an urban beach, educational uses, and marine and blue-technology components.
The proposal spans roughly 39 acres of land and 63 acres of water and remains in environmental review. Because of its location directly along the downtown waterfront, Seaport San Diego has the potential to significantly change the connection between Downtown San Diego and the bay if it ultimately receives the necessary approvals.
View Seaport San Diego →Chula Vista Bayfront
Chula Vista Bayfront Redevelopment
The Chula Vista Bayfront is one of the largest waterfront redevelopment efforts in Southern California, covering approximately 535 acres along San Diego Bay.
The master plan includes new and expanded parks, habitat and open space, waterfront trails, hotels, restaurants, retail, marina-related uses, recreation, and improved public access to the bay.
Major portions of the first phase are already visible, including the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Convention Center, Sweetwater Park, and the Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay resort. Additional Harbor Park improvements are underway, while future phases include marina expansion, additional commercial recreation, and further landside redevelopment.
View Chula Vista Bayfront →The Bigger Picture
Why These Projects Matter to San Diego Real Estate
Riverwalk, Civita, Midway Rising, and potential mixed-use development around NAVWAR could introduce significant additional housing in central San Diego.
Large projects can bring new parks, streets, retail, recreation, infrastructure, and public spaces that influence how surrounding neighborhoods evolve.
Several projects are located near existing trolley, rail, freeway, and regional transportation corridors, reinforcing the shift toward more transit-oriented development.
Seaport San Diego, the Ocean Beach Pier replacement, and the Chula Vista Bayfront all focus heavily on how residents and visitors interact with San Diego's waterfront.
Projects to Watch
San Diego Is Still Being Built
These projects are at very different stages, and plans, timelines, costs, and development programs can change as projects move through financing, environmental review, permitting, public review, and construction.
For buyers, sellers, investors, and property owners, following major development activity can provide valuable context for understanding where new housing, infrastructure, amenities, and investment may shape the region in the years ahead.