SDSU West Initiative Qualifies For 2018 Ballot
The San Diego City Clerk has approved the SDSU West ballot initiative, certifying the 106,000 signatures submitted to the clerk as sufficient. The City Clerk will present the certified initiative to the San Diego City Council, which may then approve placing the initiative before voters on an upcoming ballot to decide the fate of the proposal for the redevelopment of the former Qualcomm Stadium site.
“We are incredibly proud that the City Clerk has cleared the way for SDSU West to be placed before voters this year,” Friends of SDSU steering committee member Fred Pierce said in a statement. “This important milestone moves us one step closer to making SDSU West a reality for San Diego State University and our City as a whole."
“This initiative unlocks the University’s potential for continued growth,” Council member Barbara Bry said in the same statement. “Investments in education pay high dividends for our community. Each year, SDSU generates $5.67B of economic impact. It is critical we continue to grow this powerful economic engine.”
SDSU West's plan would authorize the sale of the present-day San Diego County Credit Union Stadium site (formerly Qualcomm Stadium) to SDSU and directs the university to develop a plan for the site. The plan claims it will provide voters with a guaranteed permanent river park as well as adequate traffic infrastructure and mitigation consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act.
Also under consideration is the SoccerCity project, which would include a new Major League Soccer stadium along with similar outlines for office, apartment and retail space as the SDSU West plan. The main criticism of SDSU West's plan is that the project is too vague, with no clear answer on how it will be funded, while SoccerCity would not utilize taxpayer dollars. SoccerCity also includes a larger swath of land than the Friends of SDSU plan.
