Developers Debut Plans for Makers Quarter in East Village

The new urban quarter would span from 14th Street to 17th Street, and Broadway to G Street

Developers have unveiled plans for an urban mixed-use neighborhood within East Village, called Makers Quarter, which would be part of a larger planned “I.D.E.A District” geared to attracting design and technology-related companies and workers.

The multiphase project is being developed by a joint venture of three firms known as Lankford Phelps Portman, which includes San Diego-based Lankford & Associates Inc. Developers have not announced timetables or expected project costs, but the development would span more than five city blocks and likely be built out over the next decade.

Developers are in the process of finalizing designs and marketing the project to potential tenants. Concept drawings showed mixed-use buildings housing offices, apartments and retail spaces, and developers are looking to include an open marketplace with community gathering spots.

Rob Lankford, president and CEO of Lankford & Associates, said the project supports the vision of a long discussed I.D.E.A. District, incorporating elements of innovation, design, education and the arts from the surrounding East Village. The project will emphasize walkability and other sustainable elements.

Makers Quarter would take up five properties owned by the Navarra family, which operates Jerome’s Furniture. The new urban quarter would span from 14th Street to 17th Street, and Broadway to G Street.

The project was announced at a public gathering in East Village, held in an art space that formerly housed a Jerome’s showroom and warehouse. The unveiling coincided with the national spring conference of the Washington, D.C.-based Urban Land Institute, which brought more than 3,500 people to downtown San Diego.
 

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