San Diego's Ballpark Neighborhood Is a Grand Slam Against Slums
Theres victory in the air around San Diegos ballpark neighborhood, a 26-block section of the citys most blighted area. Never mind that opening day at the $452.6-million PETCO Park, the new home to baseballs Padres, isnt until April 8. No matter that there are more holes in the ground than completed hotels, retail and apartment buildings. Area land values have soared from $35 to $200 per sq ft. Economists project $3 billion in development by 2020 in the surrounding 100-block East Village. And the Padres construction team delivered the project on its revised schedule and budget, having survived a 16.5-month construction "time-out," a consequence of lawsuits and a corruption inquiry.
"Even the grandest dreamers had no expectation we would see such a remarkable success so quickly, and with so many obstacles placed in our path," says Erik Judson, Padres vice president of development.