Press Release
SEPTEMBER 27, 2006
CONGRESSWOMAN SUSAN DAVIS
STATEMENT ON THE
NAVY BROADWAY COMPLEX REDEVELOPMENT
San Diego - At a meeting held by the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) on the redevelopment proposal for the Navy Broadway Complex, Congresswoman Susan Davis had the following statement read into the record. Davis is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
"I would like to begin by acknowledging CCDC's board and staff for their efforts on the Navy Broadway Complex. I have seen first hand the amount of attention and concern you have rightfully shown this project. I am grateful for your efforts.
"I would also note my appreciation for CCDC's work to involve the public in the review process. When we began considering the future of the Navy Broadway Complex in the summer of 2005, I was hopeful that the public would be meaningfully involved in its development. It would have been helpful for the Navy to seek input before the release of its RFP and more could have been done prior to the selection of a master developer. That said, I believe CCDC did its best to engage the public and to collect its feedback. This was a noble effort and one that this organization can be proud of. I would note that the developer also participated in this effort while simultaneously working to meet tight deadlines uncommon for projects this size. They too should be acknowledged.
"My comments today are informed by my close involvement with this project. I was active in last year's Base Realignment and Closure process that kept the redevelopment of the Navy Broadway Complex on the path Congress intended when it authorized a public-private venture in 1987. The 2005 BRAC's imposition of a deadline increased my participation in this project. I have personally attended four workshops hosted by both CCDC and the Broadway Complex Coalition. I have met with all of the stakeholders involved and spent countless hours contemplating the fate of this key property.
"Despite my intense interest in this project, I do not have the professional training to give you a recommendation on the project's consistency with the development agreement. However, there are a number of considerations that I would hope you would take into account when fulfilling the duties assigned to your board that are a result of my close observations to date.
"First, design is of the utmost concern. While the bulk and scale of the project is largely spoken for in the development agreement, the aesthetic remains a work in progress. "Close oversight by this body of the project's design is absolutely essential. I have heard some remark that it is possible to improve the current proposal within the existing parameters of the development agreement. No effort should be spared to find and realize such potential.
"Given the evolving nature of the project's design, and the benefit of past experiences, assurances must be made that future alterations to the site be clearly understood and agreed to by all parties in a transparent manner. Transparency should also include a clear understanding of the financial aspects of this arrangement. It is in everyone's best interest to reveal these details at the beginning of this undertaking.
"Finally, I have come to the conclusion that the open space prescribed in the development agreement and provided in the proposal before you is inadequate. Your Chair and others are right to demand more open space and additional efforts should be made to expand the public spaces on this site to create more opportunities for the community to gather.
"I appreciate that you may have already considered these factors. If more time is required to fully weigh these and other issues, then we must find the time to do so. Additionally, there should be a general agreement that this will be an evolving process. Today's hearing ought to be a part of a continuing dialogue not the final word. The importance and size of this project would dictate that all parties, including the public, remain engaged to ensure that the final result is the best for the Navy and the City.
"When you find an arrangement that meets the high standards that our waterfront demands, I would also ask CCDC to take the lead and hasten its work with its partners to realize the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan.
"In closing, this body must see to it that this land is treated as the critical resource that it is. The public deserves no less. I remain committed to assisting all of the stakeholders in this project to realize the enormous potential that is the Navy Broadway Complex."