San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria may finally deliver on a promise he made back in January, when he told residents during his State of the City address that a long-stalled sports arena redevelopment would move forward no matter the obstacles.
That pledge cleared a major hurdle Sunday, as state lawmakers approved a last-minute measure exempting the Midway Rising project from potential environmental lawsuits — a decision that could allow construction to begin on a new professional arena, thousands of housing units and expansive public parkland, even though the plan calls for a building nearly five times taller than what current neighborhood zoning allows.
The proposal, backed by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke and developer Brad Termini, envisions a 25-story arena alongside 4,250 housing units and close to 15 acres of parks on a parking lot near the current Pechanga Arena that has sat mostly unused for years. Senate Bill 344, authored by state Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, a Democrat whose district includes the project site, would let developers rely on an existing environmental study to satisfy state requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act, rather than starting a lengthy new review.
The bill passed the Assembly 72-2 Sunday afternoon before clearing the Senate unanimously. San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican, was one of only two lawmakers to vote no, criticizing the move as special treatment for a politically connected developer. Assemblymember Chris Ward, a Democrat who carried the bill on the Assembly floor for Weber Pierson, defended it as a necessary step after years of environmental scrutiny that has already been exhaustively conducted.
If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the bill — he has until Sept. 30 to act — it would mark a turning point for a project that has faced repeated legal setbacks. San Diego voters approved ballot measures in 2020 and 2022 to lift the Midway District’s 30-foot height limit, but courts struck down both efforts after ruling that city planners failed to adequately study how far taller buildings would affect traffic, air quality, noise and nearby wildlife habitat.
Opposition has remained fierce among neighborhood groups and environmental advocates. Critics argue the arena’s height would block coastal views and worsen traffic congestion, while conservation groups such as the Audubon Society have raised concerns that taller structures could pose a danger to migrating birds.
Eric Law, who chairs a Point Loma neighborhood group opposing the project, said the legislative maneuvering was designed specifically to avoid a full environmental review process. “What they’re trying to do is avoid informed decision-making,” he said.
Weber Pierson’s bill follows an earlier attempt, Senate Bill 958, which would have granted the Midway District a much broader CEQA exemption before being scaled back this summer to simply override the recent court rulings against the project. Lawmakers later worked to separate that bill from Midway Rising, even though its language applied narrowly to the project’s financing and construction requirements.
The tactic of introducing significant, project-specific legislation in the closing days of the legislative session — sometimes called “end-running” — is a well-worn strategy in Sacramento, according to UC Davis property law professor Chris Elmendorf. Because such bills often skip full committee hearings, they can move quickly with limited public input.
“You’ve got an influential legislator who cares about a project in their district, and other people aren’t too concerned about it, so they do a favor for their colleague,” Elmendorf said, describing how these late-session deals typically come together. He noted that Midway Rising was a relatively easy case for the Legislature to act on, since it does not involve significant statewide spending or drew widespread opposition from other lawmakers.
Former San Diego Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, who represented the Midway District and has long been critical of the project, said she understands the political calculus even as she raises concerns about potential flooding risks at the site. “If they cannot accomplish something at the local level, and they can’t accomplish it through a normal routine, then they go through these extraordinary end-of-session gymnastics,” she said, comparing the process to trading favors in a poker game — something she acknowledged doing herself during her time in office.
Not every San Diego-area lawmaker was willing to discuss the deal. Sen. Steve Padilla, a Chula Vista Democrat who co-authored the bill, and Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, whose district also includes part of the Midway, did not respond to multiple requests for interviews. Boerner posted on social media that she abstained from voting, saying that addressing the state’s housing shortage should not come at the expense of public input. “We need to allow for public scrutiny, and the public to sue when appropriate, to correct legitimate concerns and mistakes when assessing impacts,” she wrote.
For Gloria, the urgency is tied to a ticking clock. The city and Midway Rising’s developers have not finalized a construction agreement, but they have committed to reaching one by Dec. 4 — a deadline that, if missed, could put the entire project in jeopardy. Kroenke’s company holds a 95% equity stake in the development, while Termini, who donated to Gloria’s 2020 mayoral campaign, leads Zephyr, the residential development partner. Termini and his wife also contributed $50,000 to an independent campaign committee supporting Gloria.
The mayor, who leaves office in 2028, said he hopes to see construction begin as early as next year. He pushed back against critics who argue the project is being rushed through without adequate public input, saying it has already undergone years of scrutiny.
“We have a project that’s been thoroughly vetted, that has been voted on by the public, that is going to receive public hearings in the city council,” Gloria said. “When you’ve done that much process, that much review, that much transparency, the end result should be a firm answer.”
City officials say the redevelopment would bring meaningful benefits to the long-overlooked Midway District, including at least 2,000 affordable housing units and thousands of construction jobs. Gloria said a small but vocal group of opponents has repeatedly delayed similar projects in the past, and he hopes state-level intervention will finally provide the certainty needed to move forward.
Neither Termini nor representatives from the Kroenke Group responded to requests for comment.
Original source: CalMatters
