City officials have given the green light to the sale of the East Village parking lot area, known as Tailgate Park, to a San Diego Padres development team.
In a 8-1 vote on Tuesday, City Council approved to sell the parking lot area for up to $35.1 million in the land deal that ensures the development of the site, which includes approximately 1,800 residential units for families of low and middle income.
Councilmember Vivian Moreno voted against the sale of the parking lot area, stating that this particular ground cannot be used for the homeless crisis due to the legality side and financial reasons.
Another council official who agrees with Moreno is Stephen Whitburn, who represents the Downtown area of the city of San Diego.
"There is no more important priority in our city than to address our homelessness crisis,” said Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown. “I am persuaded that there are legal and financial reasons why we can’t use this site for that purpose, but I do think this proposal, by creating affordable housing, is a part of the solution to our homelessness crisis.”
Erik Greupner, CEO of the San Diego Padres, expressed his gratitude for the mayor and councilmembers alike for voting in favor of their development project.
Greupner says that hundreds of quality jobs will be provided throughout this development, as they built a project that he says will "enrich" the game day experience for all San Diego Padres fans.
“We are grateful to the mayor and members of the City Council for supporting our proposal to develop Tailgate Park and fulfill the promise that was made by the Padres to San Diegans to deliver more than a ballpark in East Village,” said Erik Greupner. “Today’s approval will ensure the creation of desperately needed housing, hundreds of good-paying jobs and a vibrant public park that will enhance the surrounding neighborhood and enrich the Padres’ game day experience.”
