Cortez Hill - San Diego Streets

Proposed Sixth Avenue Suites Project Revealed

Last month, we told you that Civic San Diego was planning to review a proposal for a hotel project in Downtown’s Cortez Hill neighborhood. Sixth Avenue Suites—a nine-story, 98-suite hotel—would be built on a small, 7,500-square-foot parcel located on Sixth Avenue between Ash and Beech. Now, we’re getting our first look at renderings of the proposed hotel.

The exterior is a blend of browns and blues, with oriel windows giving the building some depth. Plans include a two-story glass atrium for the ground floor.

Common areas feature an open lobby and lounge, as well as a grab-and-go food bar, breakfast room, and two small courtyards for guests.

With a limited street frontage of only 75 feet, it makes sense that they decided to skip a parking garage entrance. Instead, the operator will have an agreement with the existing parking garage next door.

The design comes from San Diego firm Joseph Wong Design Associates. That’s the same group responsible for other Downtown hotel projects like the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, as well as the upcoming Lane Field.

Located at 1441 Sixth Avenue, Sixth Avenue Suites will replace the office building shown above with the brick facade.

Sixth Avenue Suites Hotel Project Proposed for Cortez Hill

Civic San Diego is set to review plans for a new hotel project along Sixth Avenue in the Cortez Hill neighborhood of Downtown. If built, Sixth Avenue Suites would be located on the east side of Sixth Avenue between Beech and Ash.

The proposed 98-room, 9-story hotel would replace an office building at 1441 Sixth Avenue. We couldn’t find any details about the project applicant, San Diego Hope Partners LP.

The hotel would include 2,000 square feet of commercial space, and have a parking agreement with the adjacent garage.

The 7,500-square-foot lot is located immediately south of the Bay View Center office building, which contains a small college-preparatory middle school. Holiday Inn Express is also located on the same block.

Next door, Cocina 35 is moving into the space previously occupied by Indigo Cafe and Catering. An offshoot of La Loteria in Otay Mesa, Cocina 35 will serve old-school Mexican food.

Keeping Downtown Neighborhoods Beautiful

You may have noticed that your Downtown neighborhood is looking a little greener these days, as the Downtown San Diego Partnership continues its beautification efforts on the streets. We watched as crews installed large planters and new flower baskets around Cortez Hill last week.

The pots aren’t exactly our style, but we welcome any kind of new greenery.

See those new pots on each corner? They were added in sets of three around Cortez Hill.

Hanging from the recently-upgraded LED streetlamps are these new hanging baskets, which you’ve probably seen in other neighborhoods.

These seem to have a better watering system than the older ones. The Clean & Safe crew can quickly connect to a hose down low, which runs up the post and sprinkles water over each basket.

Last week, Downtown San Diego Partnership shared a gallery of photos on Facebook to show what goes into assembling the baskets.

Additional beautification efforts are planned in other Downtown neighborhoods. Downtown Partnership says they’ll be hanging pots in some places and placing planters in others. The tree lighting program we previously highlighted is set to continue along the major corridors as well.

Clearing the Way for Blue Sky

One of Downtown San Diego’s largest apartment complexes is getting closer to becoming a reality. The $300 million Blue Sky project will add over 900 rental units to the vacant block between Symphony Towers and Vantage Pointe at the base of Cortez Hill. Two towers will be built in two phases, with the first taking up the eastern half of the block along Eighth Avenue.

That plot of dirt at Ninth and B is where the old Brake Depot stood for years. In what seemed like an overnight project, it was demolished in March to make way for the new complex. These won’t be luxury units, as the developer hopes to attract young singles with mostly studios and single-bedroom floorplans.

Here’s a peek at how the two towers might look—22-story Phase 1 on the left and 21-story Phase 2 on the right. The overall design doesn’t do much for us, but there are a few aspects we do find appealing, like the “eco roofs” at the top of each tower. Each of those rooftop retreats will feature a pool, dog run, and landscaped seating areas for residents.

We also like this part—a pocket park at Eighth and B, complete with a small cafe, public seating, and a water feature. Look at all those hip urbanites enjoying the space.

A second pocket park will be located on the opposite corner at Ninth and A. These areas will be open for all to enjoy. We’ve also seen great living walls and brick planters in the plans along Eighth Avenue.

We’re just amused by this rendering because nearly everyone is on a cell phone. This is the eastern tower entrance at Ninth and B.

This is the current view of that same corner, looking north from B Street. Like it or not, Blue Sky will dramatically change the landscape of the area.

Here’s how the block will look like once Phase 1 is complete. The second tower will eventually replace that parking lot and section of grass. Phase 2 is likely several years away, if it’s ever even built.

This project has been delayed many times, but something tells us that the demolition of the Brake Depot building means things could pick up pretty soon.

Tom N Toms Still Asleep in Cortez Hill

Our eyes lit up a few months ago when we saw signs of life in one of the vacant spaces at the base of Vantage Pointe in Cortez Hill. Korean chain Tom N Toms Coffee recently opened its first Downtown location at Strata in the East Village, but the Cortez Hill spot looks like it still needs a dose of caffeine.

You may have never heard of it, but some are calling it the Starbucks of Korea. They’ve been working their way into the Los Angeles coffee market and are ready to take on San Diego. It’s more than just coffee, by the way—they’re apparently known for their bakery menu of pretzels and toasted breads.

The Cortez Hill location has looked ready to open for several weeks now, but we’re still waiting.

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