In the News 2009
Pedestrian Tunnel to Connect North Side of Friars Road to Fenton Marketplace.
Tunnel will provide access to major commercial center for thousands of neighborhood residents.
July 20, 2009
SAN DIEGO – Sudberry Properties, Inc and H.G. Fenton Company have announced that they have reached an agreement, along with the City of San Diego, to enhance, open and maintain the pedestrian tunnel underneath Friars Road west of Qualcomm stadium near Fenton Marketplace. The tunnel is set to open July 29.
"The tunnel will significantly improve quality of life for thousands of residents currently living north of Friars Road," said Brian Schoenfisch, Senior Planner for the City of San Diego, "Instead of having to cross one of the city’s busiest roads, they will be able to safely walk or ride bikes through the tunnel to Ikea, Lowes, Costco, Islands, Oggi's Pizza, IHOP and many other shopping and restaurant destinations."
H.G. Fenton and Sudberry Properties own the land on each side of the tunnel near Northside Drive and Qualcomm Stadium in the Mission City area of Mission Valley. The two development companies have collaborated with city planners, the city attorney’s office, and the San Diego city council to reopen the tunnel.
The tunnel was originally built in 1968 for trucks working at a Mission Valley quarry owned and operated by H.G. Fenton Company, which then had a substantial construction materials business. H.G. Fenton Company recognized the potential of the area for a vibrant community combining business, retail and residential uses. The company wrote the Mission City Specific Plan, which incorporated the vision of a pedestrian connection linking the north and south sides of Friars Road.
The plan was approved by the City of San Diego in 1998 and quarrying operations were phased out during the same time period. H.G. Fenton Company subsequently completed all of the master planning, site planning and entitlements for Mission City including Fenton Marketplace, which was built by Sudberry Properties.
H.G. Fenton Company has refurbished the concrete tunnel, which provides pedestrian access from the company’s Portofino apartment community and the adjacent Escala neighborhood to Fenton Marketplace on the south side of Friars Road. Improvements include lighting, concrete flooring, architectural treatment of the entrances, gates that lock at night for security, painting of the tunnel walls and ceiling, and landscaping surrounding the tunnel entrances. Once open to the public, the tunnel will be maintained by Sudberry Properties.
"This tunnel is yet another integral part of enhancing Mission City as a livable community with safe pedestrian access to the numerous amenities in the area including shops, restaurants, community library, stadium and trolley," said Mike Neal, president and CEO of H.G. Fenton Company. "We are pleased to see the vision of the Mission City Specific Plan continue to become reality with the upcoming opening of this vital pedestrian link."
The opening ceremony will take place on July 29th at 2:00 p.m. in front of the Friars Road tunnel. City Councilmember Donna Frye will attend and Mike Neal along with Tom Sudberry of Sudberry Properties will speak at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
"As long-time property owners in the area, we are pleased to have reached an agreement with the city and H.G. Fenton Company to connect the north side of Friars Road with Fenton Marketplace," said Tom Sudberry, Chairman of the Board of Sudberry Properties. "This should be a boon for residents on both sides of Friars Road as well as for the area merchants who serve them."
About H.G. Fenton Company
Founded in San Diego in 1906, H.G. Fenton Company has proudly entered its second century of service providing quality places to live and work. The company manages an active development pipeline of land and commercial projects, with over 3 million square feet of office and industrial space and 12 apartment communities totaling 3,000 homes. H.G. Fenton Company is headquartered in San Diego at 7577 Mission Valley Road, San Diego, Calif., 92108. The company website is www.hgfenton.com.
About Sudberry Properties
Sudberry Properties is a San Diego based real estate development and asset management firm that specializes in quality shopping center projects, office buildings, and sustainable mixed-use urban communities. The company is the master plan developer of the Quarry Falls community that will include 900,000 square feet of commercial buildings and 4,780 residential units and will be home to Mission Valley's first public school and private park. The company has built 3.5 million square feet of commercial projects, 2.7 square feet of industrial buildings and has over 2 million square feet currently being planned or under construction.
Contacts:
The Grove Agency for H.G. Fenton Company – 858-751-5959 Sandra Grove
sgrove@groveagency.com
Cell: 619-922-3114
Mary Haney
mhaney@groveagency.com
Cell: 619-339-4564
Gable PR – 619-284-1714
Tom Gable
tom@gablepr.com
Cell: 619-251-3881
Erin Koch
erin.koch@gablepr.com
Cell: 619-246-9249