Court decision halts massive Midway Rising project in San Diego

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- A small community group, Save Our Access, has won a significant legal battle against the city of San Diego, halting the $4 billion Midway Rising redevelopment project.

The court's decision to throw out the ballot measure supporting the project marks a victory for Save Our Access, which challenged the city's plans due to environmental concerns. The Midway Rising project, backed by billionaire Stan Kronke and city politicians, aimed to transform the Sports Arena district by removing the 30-foot coastal height limit.

John McNab, president of Save Our Access, highlighted the lack of transparency regarding the project's impact, stating, "What they didn’t tell you is 200,000 people will be moving in, which could blow up the freeways."

The Midway Rising project was set to be the largest redevelopment in San Diego's history, with plans to build structures up to 40 stories high. However, the court ruled against the ballot measures E and C, which sought to eliminate the 30-foot height restriction, citing insufficient disclosure of environmental impacts such as traffic and density issues.

Currently, the tallest building in the Midway district is the Sports Arena itself, which predates the 1972 voter-approved 30-foot coastal height limit. The court's decision reinstates this height limit, posing a significant challenge to future development plans in the area.

The area surrounding the sports arena has long been considered in need of revitalization, but the court's ruling emphasizes the importance of community input and environmental considerations in urban development projects.

The court's ruling against the Midway Rising project underscores the power of community groups in influencing urban development, ensuring that environmental and community concerns are not overlooked in the pursuit of economic growth.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.