UCSD opening permanent downtown outpost (San Diego, San Jose: lease, condos, hotels)

[sav858]

UCSD opening permanent downtown outpost - The San Diego Union-Tribune

..But now comes what many downtown boosters have dreamed of for decades — a major research university that can attract business, jobs and international attention.

UC San Diego, which previously held classes in rented space, has announced a $42 million, 66,000-square-foot downtown outpost that will be part a much bigger development due for City Council review on Tuesday. Construction is expected to begin next year with completion by late 2020 or early-2021.

Downtown leaders are hailing the move as a major step in making downtown a hub for the new 21st century tech-economy just as UCSD’s campus on Torrey Pines Mesa spun off numerous biotech and telecommunications companies with thousands of well-paid employees since the 1960s.

Read this yesterday. Do you think this might attract new types of companies to downtown? And/or be somewhat of a catalyst for different types of development downtown other than condos and hotels?

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by sav858

UCSD opening permanent downtown outpost - The San Diego Union-Tribune





Read this yesterday. Do you think this might attract new types of companies to downtown? And/or be somewhat of a catalyst for different types of development downtown other than condos and hotels?

This is good news. Although the article didn't say so, my hunch is that what they are really talking about, at least initially, is a new location for the UCSD extension courses, which is what they have been renting buildings throughout the county for. But, that is kind of cool in itself, since many of the extension courses are geared towards helping working adults advance their career skills.

I don't think that this alone will bring new businesses to the East Village. But, when you look at it in conjunction with the new Maker's Quarter building and other development in that area, it is definitely another attractive piece of the puzzle.

[snpdragr]

This article has a bit more detail on what they are planning: UC San Diego Announces Downtown Hub | KPBS . Seem like a little bit of a mishmash.

One bullet point is "business incubation and entrepreneurship resources" but I'm not really sure exactly what this entails. If I were looking to spinoff research from the university, I'd prefer to be a little closer to main campus.

Still I can only see this as being a good thing. It will help gentrify the area and I think it will push out the area around the ballpark that I would consider nice.

[NYSD1995]

Won't attract any new businesses but will attract a new type of downtown visitor beyond the party scene or vagrants, that's an automatic win in my book.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by snpdragr

This article has a bit more detail on what they are planning: [url=http://www.kpbs.org/news/2016/dec/12/uc-san-diego-announces-downtown-hub/]
One bullet point is "business incubation and entrepreneurship resources" but I'm not really sure exactly what this entails. If I were looking to spinoff research from the university, I'd prefer to be a little closer to main campus.

I think they are referring to the UCSD extension courses, which have several certificate programs relevant to entrepreurship/small business, technology, and engineering. The extension program also does the college/test prep courses for high school students.

But, for the most part, the UCSD extension courses are not degree programs. They're more adult education for working adults and a few for high school students. Reading the second article you posted, it doesn't sound like UCSD's goal is to really launch a second campus for college-aged students, but rather a central facility for extension courses.

I think this will be a nice addition to that area of downtown, but it will probably put more pressure on the city to deal with the homeless situation in that area. It might be hard to attract people to night classes downtown otherwise.

Looks like you picked a great place, Snpdragon. As I have said before, my hunch is 5-10 years from now we'll all be talking about how smart you were to buy into the upscale East Village when it was just starting to gentrify.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by sav858

Read this yesterday. Do you think this might attract new types of companies to downtown? And/or be somewhat of a catalyst for different types of development downtown other than condos and hotels?

I hope so, but I'm sure it will still take years before downtown gains momentum attracting companies. Thought it's a good sign is that WeWork just leased 90,000 square feet on B St.

Largest Co-Working Space Opens in Downtown San Diego - Times of San Diego

Either way, it's about time there is a university presence downtown. SDSU is closer to downtown than UCSD and should have done it years ago. It's a bummer that Google's new office won't be downtown. And Evernote just announce opening a regional office in SD, but they are looking to set up shop in Sabre Springs.

https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2016/...ice-san-diego/

[NYSD1995]

Originally Posted by sdurbanite

Either way, it's about time there is a university presence downtown. SDSU is closer to downtown than UCSD and should have done it years ago. It's a bummer that Google's new office won't be downtown. And Evernote just announce opening a regional office in SD, but they are looking to set up shop in Sabre Springs.

I think more companies would set up downtown if it wasn't for parking expense and overall lack of space appropriate for a tech companies - many tech corps don't necessarily want class A office towers.

[sdurbanite]

Originally Posted by Sassberto

I think more companies would set up downtown if it wasn't for parking expense and overall lack of space appropriate for a tech companies - many tech corps don't necessarily want class A office towers.

Totally agree. Silicon Valley is a prime example of where tech companies thrive....Office parks with campus settings. We have Illumina in UTC, Intuit off the 56, etc. It's also too bad that DTSD lacks old buildings that could be converted into office. Underground Elephant is the only example I can think of.

https://www.google.com/search?q=unde...OgBmsQ_AUICCgD

[snpdragr]

Originally Posted by RosieSD

Looks like you picked a great place, Snpdragon. As I have said before, my hunch is 5-10 years from now we'll all be talking about how smart you were to buy into the upscale East Village when it was just starting to gentrify.

Thanks Rosie. I certainly hope you are correct. To some extent the negative nelly in me feels like we were just a few years too late, but I really have no cause to complain as life is pretty good.

[snpdragr]

Originally Posted by sdurbanite

Totally agree. Silicon Valley is a prime example of where tech companies thrive....Office parks with campus settings.

I worked in downtown San Jose and also in a office park setup in mountain view and I far preferred the downtown environment. I felt like the office park was walled off from the rest of the world, nowhere to really walk to for a break etc. Some of my younger coworkers must have felt the same way as they chose to live in SF and commute down (crazy imo with the traffic). But one drawback of downtown was that it was so far from Stanford / Berkeley / etc.