Turquoise Tower Remains Stuck in City Review, Not Approved
Project Vela, the proposed 23-story mixed-use building at about 970 Turquoise St. near the La Jolla line, is still not approved. Neighbors call it the Turquoise Tower. This is a different fight from the Chalcifica ADU redesign already on this site. No shovel is in the ground.
Why it is stuck
City Development Services has told Kalonymus the plans cannot be signed off as submitted, in part because the mix of 139 hotel rooms and about 75 apartments is being treated as both visitor lodging and housing. Late June public records obtained by opponents show fire, stormwater, and floor-area questions still open. The developer has argued the city missed a state deadline and the project should be deemed approved. The city says the application was incomplete.
Why it matters
- A 23-story building on Turquoise would be the tallest coastal tower in San Diego since the 1960s.
- Until the city or a court decides, north PB buyers should treat it as a risk factor for views, traffic, and comps, not as approved supply.
- If a listing agent talks about the tower as if it is happening, ask for the city status letter, not a rendering.
Sources: Union-Tribune on the Turquoise Tower impasse; Times of San Diego on the hotel-plus-housing dispute; CBS 8 on the review roadblock.
Related on this site: Chalcifica ADU redesign.
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