Liberty Station
Encyclopedia
Liberty Station is a 361 acres (1.5 km²) project that involves the conversion of San Diego, California
's former Naval Training Center
into a mixed-use community that includes several distinct districts. The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego.
The development is located in the Point Loma community of San Diego. It has a waterfront location, on a boat channel off of San Diego Bay
, just west of the San Diego Airport and a few miles north of Downtown San Diego. Dozens of the historical buildings are being adapted for stores, offices, schools, and other purposes.
The project started when the Navy announced in 1993 that it was closing its training center. The City created a 27 member commission to determine what to do with the site, then created a detailed plan that served as the basis for a request for quotation from a master developer. The Corky McMillin Company was selected as the master developer and began work when the base closed in 1997.
Liberty Station consists of a retail and commercial district, a promenade, an educational district, a residential district, a hotel district, an office district, and a park/open space area along the boat channel.
The Marketplace section is located on Truxtun Road, between Womble and Roosevelt Road. It is the most developed of the commercial areas and includes a Vons
, Trader Joe's
, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery
, Starbucks
, Postal Annex, Panera Bread
, Point Loma Boardroon, Navy Federal Credit Union
, Da Kine's, and Five Guys
.
The Ocean Village section, which does currently not have any stores open, is located on Historic Decatur Road and Perry Road. It is planned as a maritime-themed area with retail and light industrial tenants as well as public access to the boat channel.
The NTC Landing section of Liberty Station is located at Lytton Avenue and Truxton Road and is accessed through the iconic gate off Lytton Avenue, formerly NTC's Gate 6, whose image serves as a kind of visual symbol for all of Liberty Station. The NTC Landing secion includes the historic Sail Ho Golf Course as well as Wine Steals, Corvette Diner, Ace Hardware, Sail Ho Bar & Grill, and Glow M.D. Skin Care.
The Harbor Square section of Liberty Station is located at Laning Road and Harbor Drive, across from San Diego Bay and Naval Base Point Loma
. In the Harbor Square section there are an Oggi's Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Dinner Studio, Beriyo, Los Primos Mexican Food, Massage Envy, Rose's Nails, Starbucks, Sushiya, and a Wine and Cheese Shop.
The Fitness Club section is located on Roosevelt Road at Historic Decatur Road and currently houses a Boxing Club. Additional businesses are planned.
The term "promenade" is also used to describe a landscaped linear open-space area that runs the length of the development.
. The campus includes five high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school. The schools are part of the San Diego City Schools
. The high school students are allowed to walk to the retail and commercial district during lunch.
The civilian residential community includes townhomes, row homes, and single family homes. In 2007 it was named by Money magazine as one of the best places to retire in San Diego. However, people of all ages live in the community, young families as well as retired couples.
The hotel district of Liberty Station is designated for several hotels, currently including a Homewood Suites by Hilton and a Courtyard by Marriott. A large resort hotel by Nickelodeon is on the drawing boards. The hotel district also contains the historic training structure USS Recruit (TDE-1)
. Formerly a commissioned "non-ship" of the U.S. Navy, this is a two-thirds scale model of a Navy
frigate built right into the ground. She was used to teach shipboard procedures to recruits and was affectionately nicknamed the USS Neversail. She is currently unoccupied but is slated to become a museum at some time in the future. She is visible from North Harbor Drive.
, a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch
, was constructed in 2005 and opened in 2007. The building houses new Christian education facilities, office space, and a 3,500 seat worship center, making it one of the largest auditoriums in Southern California
. The church currently averages 12,000 in attendance per week, making it the largest church in San Diego. The Rock Church occupies the site of the former Technical Training Center at Service School Command San Diego (Building 94, constructed 1969).
voted unanimously to create a memorial to the 52 U.S. Navy submarines and 3,505 submariners lost in World War II
. After 14 years of fundraising
, planning and dealing with bureaucracy
, the memorial was dedicated at Liberty Station.
The memorial honors the 52 submarines that were lost in World War II. It consists of 52 American Liberty Elm trees, 52 flags and 52 granite memorials to the ships and men who were lost. The project was driven by Doug Smay, whose father served in submarines during World War II. The memorial consists of two long sidewalks, flanked by the trees, flags and plaques. Ninety percent of the money for the project was raised through private donations.
An aquatic center is planned on 3.7 acres in the active space area of NTC Park. The City of San Diego is in the process of approving a contract with an architect to begin the community input and design phase of the project.
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
's former Naval Training Center
Naval Training Center San Diego
Naval Training Center San Diego is a former United States Navy base located at the north end of San Diego Bay. The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego.The base...
into a mixed-use community that includes several distinct districts. The Naval Training Center site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and many of the individual structures are designated as historic by the city of San Diego.
The development is located in the Point Loma community of San Diego. It has a waterfront location, on a boat channel off of San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port adjacent to San Diego, California. It is 12 mi/19 km long, 1 mi/1.6 km–3 mi/4.8 km wide...
, just west of the San Diego Airport and a few miles north of Downtown San Diego. Dozens of the historical buildings are being adapted for stores, offices, schools, and other purposes.
The project started when the Navy announced in 1993 that it was closing its training center. The City created a 27 member commission to determine what to do with the site, then created a detailed plan that served as the basis for a request for quotation from a master developer. The Corky McMillin Company was selected as the master developer and began work when the base closed in 1997.
Liberty Station consists of a retail and commercial district, a promenade, an educational district, a residential district, a hotel district, an office district, and a park/open space area along the boat channel.
Retail and commercial district
The retail and commercial district of Liberty Station is divided into five sections: The Marketplace, Ocean Village, NTC Landing, Harbor Square, and Fitness Club.The Marketplace section is located on Truxtun Road, between Womble and Roosevelt Road. It is the most developed of the commercial areas and includes a Vons
Vons
Vons is a southern California and southern Nevada supermarket chain and a division of Safeway Inc. It is headquartered in Arcadia, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions banners.-Beginning:...
, Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is a privately held chain of specialty grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. , Trader Joe's had a total of 365 stores. Approximately half of its stores are in California, with the heaviest concentration in Southern California, but the company also has locations in 30...
, Sammy's Woodfired Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American-based ice cream parlor chain. The company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is owned and operated by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. The company's main product is premium ice cream, or ice cream made with approximately 12-14% butterfat, that is made on location and...
, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Postal Annex, Panera Bread
Panera Bread
Panera Bread is a chain of bakery–café quick casual restaurants in the United States and Canada that sells breads, sandwiches, soups, salads, and other bakery items. Its headquarters are in Sunset Hills, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis.-Corporate history:In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co...
, Point Loma Boardroon, Navy Federal Credit Union
Navy Federal Credit Union
Navy Federal Credit Union is a credit union headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, chartered and regulated under the authority of the National Credit Union Administration of the U.S. federal government. Navy Federal is the largest natural member credit union in the world, both in asset size and in...
, Da Kine's, and Five Guys
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
.
The Ocean Village section, which does currently not have any stores open, is located on Historic Decatur Road and Perry Road. It is planned as a maritime-themed area with retail and light industrial tenants as well as public access to the boat channel.
The NTC Landing section of Liberty Station is located at Lytton Avenue and Truxton Road and is accessed through the iconic gate off Lytton Avenue, formerly NTC's Gate 6, whose image serves as a kind of visual symbol for all of Liberty Station. The NTC Landing secion includes the historic Sail Ho Golf Course as well as Wine Steals, Corvette Diner, Ace Hardware, Sail Ho Bar & Grill, and Glow M.D. Skin Care.
The Harbor Square section of Liberty Station is located at Laning Road and Harbor Drive, across from San Diego Bay and Naval Base Point Loma
Naval Base Point Loma
Located in Point Loma, a neighborhood of San Diego, California, Naval Base Point Loma was established on 1 October 1998 when Navy facilities in the Point Loma area of San Diego were consolidated under Commander, Navy Region Southwest...
. In the Harbor Square section there are an Oggi's Pizza, Subway Sandwiches, Dinner Studio, Beriyo, Los Primos Mexican Food, Massage Envy, Rose's Nails, Starbucks, Sushiya, and a Wine and Cheese Shop.
The Fitness Club section is located on Roosevelt Road at Historic Decatur Road and currently houses a Boxing Club. Additional businesses are planned.
Promenade
The NTC Promenade is a group of historic buildings being renovated for the display of arts, science, culture, and technology. It houses theater groups, dance companies, museums, galleries, and classes of many kinds. There are also several venues for public and private events, including the former chapel and former mess hall of the Naval Training Center. The base's former command center and the former parade ground are also included in the Promenade. The command center building contains displays about the history of NTC and of Point Loma, and has an adjacent rose garden which was planted by the wife of an early base commander. This 28 acre area is operated by the non-profit NTC Foundation.The term "promenade" is also used to describe a landscaped linear open-space area that runs the length of the development.
Educational district
The educational district of Liberty Station consists of High Tech Village, a group of public charter schools collectively known as High Tech HighGary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School
Gary and Jerri-Ann Jacobs High Tech High Charter School, often referred to as High Tech High , is a public charter high school in :San Diego, California...
. The campus includes five high schools, two middle schools, and one elementary school. The schools are part of the San Diego City Schools
San Diego City Schools
San Diego Unified School District is the school district of San Diego, California. It was founded in 1854...
. The high school students are allowed to walk to the retail and commercial district during lunch.
Residential district
The residential district of Liberty Station has two main sections, one section for military housing and the other a residential community developed by the McMillin Corporation. The military housing area is not properly part of the Liberty Station development and is still owned by the U.S. Government. It includes 500 units, mostly townhomes, and also features children's playgrounds and sports facilities. The exterior of the housing is in a Spanish architectural style in keeping with traditional San Diego.The civilian residential community includes townhomes, row homes, and single family homes. In 2007 it was named by Money magazine as one of the best places to retire in San Diego. However, people of all ages live in the community, young families as well as retired couples.
Hotel district
USS Recruit (TDE-1)
USS Recruit was a landlocked "dummy" training ship of the United States Navy, located at the Naval Training Center in the Point Loma area of San Diego, California. She was built to scale, two-thirds the size of a destroyer escort, and was commissioned on July 27, 1949...
. Formerly a commissioned "non-ship" of the U.S. Navy, this is a two-thirds scale model of a Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
frigate built right into the ground. She was used to teach shipboard procedures to recruits and was affectionately nicknamed the USS Neversail. She is currently unoccupied but is slated to become a museum at some time in the future. She is visible from North Harbor Drive.
Office district
The office district is a collection of newly-built office buildings whose architecture reflects the Spanish Colonial Revival style of the original NTC buildings.The Rock Church
The Rock ChurchThe Rock Church
The Rock Church is a protestant, evangelical megachurch located in San Diego, California, USA. Miles McPherson, a former NFL player, has served as senior pastor since he founded the church in 2000. With an average weekly attendance of nearly 12,000, the Rock is currently the 19th largest and the...
, a non-denominational, evangelical Christian megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
, was constructed in 2005 and opened in 2007. The building houses new Christian education facilities, office space, and a 3,500 seat worship center, making it one of the largest auditoriums in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. The church currently averages 12,000 in attendance per week, making it the largest church in San Diego. The Rock Church occupies the site of the former Technical Training Center at Service School Command San Diego (Building 94, constructed 1969).
52 Boats Memorial
In 1995 the San Diego Chapter of United States Submarine Veterans of World War IIUnited States Submarine Veterans of World War II
The United States Submarine Veterans of World War II is a congressionally chartered veterans organization that was established to "perpetuate the memory of those shipmates who gave their lives in submarine warfare" during World War II.-Purpose:...
voted unanimously to create a memorial to the 52 U.S. Navy submarines and 3,505 submariners lost in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After 14 years of fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
, planning and dealing with bureaucracy
Bureaucracy
A bureaucracy is an organization of non-elected officials of a governmental or organization who implement the rules, laws, and functions of their institution, and are occasionally characterized by officialism and red tape.-Weberian bureaucracy:...
, the memorial was dedicated at Liberty Station.
The memorial honors the 52 submarines that were lost in World War II. It consists of 52 American Liberty Elm trees, 52 flags and 52 granite memorials to the ships and men who were lost. The project was driven by Doug Smay, whose father served in submarines during World War II. The memorial consists of two long sidewalks, flanked by the trees, flags and plaques. Ninety percent of the money for the project was raised through private donations.
Park and open space
The park and open space area includes the golf course as well as a 46 acres (186,155.6 m²) waterfront park with playground areas, a walking/jogging trail along the boat channel, and an athletic club. Due to the large open areas Liberty Station is an attractive setting for 5k walk/runs sponsored by local businesses and non-profit organizations.An aquatic center is planned on 3.7 acres in the active space area of NTC Park. The City of San Diego is in the process of approving a contract with an architect to begin the community input and design phase of the project.