Morris Taubman; Developer of San Diego Waterfront

Morris B. Taubman, developer of San Diego’s popular waterfront Seaport Village, has died of cancer. He was 70.

Taubman, who maintained residences in Los Angeles and San Diego, died Thursday at his Los Angeles home.

Along with his partner, Roger Manfred, Taubman had been honored by various civic leaders in San Diego over the past few years for pioneering the redevelopment of the city’s downtown waterfront area.

The two men most recently have been building Roger Morris Plaza--labeled with their combined first names--a 49-story hotel and apartment building that will be one of San Diego’s tallest structures. The building, on Harbor Drive between 1st Avenue and Front Street, is scheduled for completion in 1992.

The complex will include a pond and public park, which the development firm, Roger Morris Plaza Ltd., agreed to maintain for 30 years.

Seaport Village, the oft-expanded collection of shops and restaurants beside San Diego Harbor, was built by Taubman and Manfred’s company, Seaport Manfred Co.

Before moving to California, Taubman was president of his family’s Texas-based oil business, Buffalo Oil Co., where he worked for more than 20 years.

Born March 28, 1920, in Joplin, Mo., Taubman grew up in Tulsa and was educated at the New Mexico Military Institute and the University of Texas. He served in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

Taubman is survived by his wife, Janice; son, Richard; daughter, Anne; four brothers, Charles, Milton, Louis, and Robert; a sister, Rosalie, and one grandson.

Services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday at Hillside Memorial Park Chapel in Los Angeles.

The family has asked that any memorial donations be made to the donor’s favorite charity.