New condo tower proposed on El Cortez building property

A developer has proposed putting a new condo tower on the same property as one of San Diego’s most historic buildings.

J Peter Block Companies would put the 12- to 13-story building on the land behind El Cortez, currently used by residents, on the south side of Beech Street. The proposal calls for 104 condos on a 20,000-square-foot spot roughly 22 feet from the El Cortez lot.

While it might seem surprising to historical buffs, a building has been planned on the site for nearly 15 years. A parcel split was allowed on the site in 2004 and a building was approved for the site in 2008, only to be delayed because of the recession.

On Wednesday, officials from the Design Review Committee of downtown’s planning agency, Civic San Diego, got their first look at the project. There are still a number of approvals before construction could begin, including another design review, a meeting with the full Civic board and a public meeting.

Some residents have voiced displeasure in the past about the project blocking views, but no public comments were made at the meeting.

Steve Altman, who has lived in the Discovery Condos across the street from the El Cortez for 12 years, said after the meeting he felt the project didn’t seem like it fit on the site and was frustrated it didn’t contain retail.

“Overall, the project really cramps the site,” he said.

Architect Taal Safdie, of the San Diego firm Safdie Rabines Architects, said the design was meant to complement the El Cortez. She said the design mimics the historic building with a central tower and two wings.

“The concept of the building was really created in respect to the El Cortez,” she said.

The proposal calls for two-story townhouses to surround the building, except for where the lobby would be on Beech Street. Other plans call for 206 parking spaces in five underground levels, balconies, outdoor space on the seventh floor and a ground floor courtyard.

The El Cortez was a hotel built in 1927 that has been converted to condos. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and is said to have had the first outside glass elevator in the world. It was the tallest building in San Diego for more than 30 years.

Design committee member Jennifer Ayala said she liked the landscaping of the proposal, design elements and its placement.

“I appreciate the respectful gestures to the El Cortez,” she said.

Plans for the condos include seven studios (414 to 1,353 square feet), 75 one-bedroom units (729 to 1,812 square feet) and two units that are two-bedrooms (2,565 to 2,960 square feet).

Low-income housing will not be included on site, instead J Peter Block Companies will pay $1.56 million in inclusionary housing fees.

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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