San Diego approves Master Plan for Brown Field Airport development
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved the Brown Field Airport Master Plan, a document that will guide the airport’s development over the next 20 years. The plan seeks to meet future aviation demand, modernize infrastructure, and comply with new federal safety regulations, as well as promote economic growth in the region. The plan was last updated in 1980.
The Master Plan establishes phased improvements to runways, taxiways, aircraft parking, and hangars, as well as historic preservation strategies, including the possible adaptive reuse of the historic terminal building. In addition, it will serve as a guide for the implementation of the Capital Improvement Plan (ACIP), which calls for $18.9 million in infrastructure projects over the next five years. Funding will come primarily from federal and state grants, without requiring contributions from the City’s General Fund.
The development of San Diego Airpark, currently under construction under a lease agreement with the City, is part of the Master Plan. This project includes aviation, commercial, and industrial facilities, as well as a new terminal with a general aviation customs inspection facility. It is estimated to generate approximately 2,500 jobs and a $1.5 billion economic impact in the region.
The plan was developed with community participation through public workshops and Advisory Committee meetings, gathering input from airport users, neighbors, community organizations, tenants, and regional agencies. A Program Environmental Impact Statement was also certified.
Brown Field, located in Otay Mesa near the Mexican border, handles more than 90,000 takeoffs and landings annually and plays a key role in cross-border trade, law enforcement aviation, military operations, wildfire suppression, and recreational and commercial aviation. Founded in 1918 as East Field, it was renamed in honor of Commander Melville S. Brown and transferred to the City by the Navy in 1962, on the condition that it remain a public airport.
The City is also currently working on the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport Master Plan, which is scheduled to be presented to the full Council in the coming months.
