OCEANSIDE — Oceanside’s Nine Block Master Plan for its beachfront downtown is well on its way to completion. Three of the nine blocks between Cleveland Street and Pacific Street, and flanked by Seagave Drive and Civic Center Drive, are completed, three are under construction and three have entitlements.
The Nine Block Master Plan was approved by the city in April 2000. Fast forward to today and project start and finish dates are overlapping each other.
Built are the Wyndham Resorts timeshare and hotel; Springhill Suites hotel, conference center and Hello Betty’s Restaurant; and GF Properties Pierview North 66-unit mixed-use development.
“The first project to be completed was the Wyndham which opened in January 2008, followed by the Springhill Suites in February 2014, and Pierside North in November 2016,” Leslee Gaul, Visit Oceanside Conference & Visitors Bureau CEO and president, said.
Under construction are the North Beach Promenade mixed-use development and 493-space public parking structure; Cleveland Street Lofts; and GF Properties Pierside South 110-unit mixed-use development.
Projects are moving steadily forward, despite Mother Nature causing 30 rain days for the North Beach Promenade development.
“North Beach Promenade broke ground in September 2016 and should be completed by June,2018,” Gaul said. “Pierside South broke ground in February 2017 and expects to open in October 2018.”
Pending projects are the SD Malkin Beach Resort 226-room hotel and 158-room hotel; and GF Properties 30-unit and 25-unit mixed-use projects.
The Beach Resort is anticipated to break ground in 2018, following litigation delays.
It is unknown when the privately owned blocks by GF Properties will move forward with construction. No delays are foreseen.
“We expect they (GF Properties) will move forward with the Lot 20 project after completing Pierside North,” Gaul said.
In addition to nine blocks of development the city is working on Quiet Zone railroad crossings, and downtown water and sewer line replacement.
Quiet Zone work at five coastal crossings will take a year to complete.
Pipe replacement is expected to be finished by summer, with work closing down one street at a time.
The city is embracing its downtown growth, but knows construction brings challenges.
Loss of parking and street narrowing remain the biggest impacts through multi-year construction.
The city has built additional parking lots to alleviate temporary parking loss, and works to direct businesses and visitors to available parking, including providing an online link to the city of Oceanside Parking Guide ci.oceanside.ca.us/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?BlobID=44085.
To help downtown businesses weather the changes Visit Oceanside, Oceanside Chamber of Commerce and MainStreet Oceanside are working in partnership with the city to help businesses develop a proactive plan.
Updates on downtown development were shared at the Oceanside Tourism Council Meeting hosted by Visit Oceanside on Feb 22. During the meeting city staff shared updates and discussed expected changes over the next 18 months.
“Visit Oceanside facilitated this conversation to connect businesses with the tools needed to strategize,” Dana Higgins, Visit Oceanside Conference & Visitors Bureau director of business development, said.
Higgins said businesses owners walked away from the meeting informed and ready to share the positive changes construction would bring with customers.
Oceanside is also working with developers to minimize disruptions, provide outreach to businesses and practice good neighbor policies. Developers regularly share updates at MainStreet monthly meetings.