Plan to turn old downtown library into offices gets initial approval
A new plan for an office conversion at the old Central Library was approved Wednesday by Civic San Diego, downtown’s planning agency.
Efforts to remake the library have languished since 2013 when the city left the building to construct the dome-shaped library on Park Boulevard near Petco Park. Recently, Canadian developer Bosa backed out of plans to build a 42-story apartment tower on top of the library, citing increased construction costs.
The board unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating agreement Wednesday it had previously rejected from Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company that called for remaking the three-story building into mainly offices.
In September, board director Stephen Russell was the only person to vote against the Bosa project, saying the design would only keep the facade and remove what was inside.
“My original opposition to the (Bosa) project was the loss of our cultural heritage there,” Russell said Wednesday. “I think this (Lincoln) project ennobles the site and does a lot of what we need to do to protect our cultural heritage. So, I’m pleased to see it moving forward.”
Lincoln’s plans involve 1,000 square-feet of street-level retail and 85,000 square feet of office space targeted for innovation and technology tenants. Two underground parking floors — previously used to store books — will be fashioned into 96 parking spots.
Board members in September had stressed the need for housing over offices, but the staff seemed to be swayed by Lincoln’s intention to try to buy adjacent properties on the same block that would include housing.
Brig Black, an executive vice president at Lincoln Property Company, said the company was pleased to get the approval and looked forward to preserving the historic elements of the building, built in 1954.
“We remain enthusiastic about our plan,” he said, “which is to convert this historic structure and bring it back to the jewel it once was.”
It could be a while before anything happens on the site. The sale of the property must still be approved by the City Council, which likely won’t come up for a vote until January or February. Black said an ideal timeline would be construction starting in the fourth quarter of 2019 and opening in early 2021.
Its proposal involves little change to the exterior of the building in an effort to maintain the historic facade. The lobby would include a museum for the former library. Plans for the inside of the building involve maintaining the character of the library as much as possible. A new feature would be a 2,500 square-foot rooftop pavilion.
Lincoln has told the agency of its intention to buy other sites on the block for housing, which are directly behind the library, although a sale is not guaranteed. Possible sites include a vacant commercial building at 825-845 Broadway with a footprint of 5,125 square feet. It also is looking to buy an adjacent parking lot that is 15,250 square feet.
Attempts to redevelop the site for five years have not gone well. The first effort to get proposals for the site, focused on technology and innovation uses, received only underwhelming responses, said Civic San Diego staff.
In late 2017, the agency instead issued new proposals that were more broad and allowed for a sale of the land, instead of a lease.
The building, which faces the historic San Diego post office on E Street, has fallen into disrepair. There is graffiti on the walls, a tile of the California state seal on the sidewalk is cracked and a poster advertising a “2013 Fall Concert Series” at the library is still hanging up in a window by the entrance.
Business
phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar
ALSO
San Diego’s new single-family homes are pricey, modern and in short supply
