SAN DIEGO, CA – The City of San Diego held a groundbreaking at Brown Field Municipal Airport for the redevelopment of an air terminal.
Under a lease agreement with the city, San Diego Airpark, LLC, will build state-of-the-art aeronautical and commercial facilities, with the first buildings expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
“This is an important and long-awaited milestone for Brown Field Airport, Otay Mesa and the entire San Diego region. The new San Diego Airpark will transform this underutilized airport into a hub for economic growth and employment, creating thousands of jobs and fostering international trade. This redevelopment project puts our public asset to work to drive progress and enhance business and economic opportunities for all San Diegans,” said Mayor Todd Gloria.
The project is expected to create approximately 2,500 new jobs at the airport, with a US$1.5 billion economic impact on the San Diego region. The estimated cost of the first phase is US$100 million and will be borne by the developer, San Diego Airpark, LLC. The redevelopment is expected to be completed in four phases.
San Diego Airpark will be developed on 331 acres of land at Brown Field and will include a new fixed-base operator with a state-of-the-art terminal building that will house a new general aviation customs inspection facility. The project will also feature commercial hangars and new roadways, a hotel and restaurant.
“We are excited about how the San Diego Airpark project will play an important role in the economic growth of the City of San Diego and our region,” stated Christina Bibler, Director of the City’s Economic Development Department (EDD).
Currently, with more than 80,000 annual inbound and outbound flights, Brown Field is a busy general aviation airport serving many types of aircraft: private, corporate, charter, air ambulance, security forces, fire rescue, flight training, cargo, parachute, parachute, banner towing, blimp and military.
Brown Field, as an airport with landing rights, also has a Customs and Border Protection General Aviation Inspection Facility and serves as the primary port of entry for general aviation traffic flying into the United States via the West Coast.
The airport was initially named East Field in honor of Army Major Whitten J. East. It opened in 1918, when the U.S. Army established an aerial gunnery and aerobatic school to decongest North Island. In 1962, the Navy transferred ownership of Brown Field to the city of San Diego on the condition that it remain an airport for the use and benefit of the public.
The Federal Aviation Administration classified Brown Field as a reliever airport for San Diego International Airport. Over the next five years, Brown Field will receive approximately US$14.8 million in federal grants for airport infrastructure improvements and security needs.
