Fans attending events at Snapdragon Stadium soon will notice changes along the eastern portion of SDSU Mission Valley as the next phase of construction commences on the 135-acre property.
According to the university, “Avalon Bay Communities plans to begin construction this summer, prior to the 2025 football season, on a multi-family residential development of 621 units. It will also include 30,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by a grocery store, sit-down restaurant, and several other food and beverage offerings to serve both the neighborhood and stadium event attendees. The community is expected to be open by 2028.”
The first phase of development was completed in 2022, when $310 million, 32,500-seat Snapdragon Stadium debuted. The property also includes 86 acres of parks, recreation areas and open space, most of which was completed last year along the property’s southern and eastern boundaries.
As SDSU Mission Valley is built out over the next decade, the $3.5 billion project is planned to include 4,600 housing units (10% will be affordable housing), along with a 400-room hotel and nearly 100,000 square feet of campus retail space. It also will include an Innovation District, with 1.6 million square feet of office and research space for the university to extend its footprint for educational and other endeavors.
Construction on the first project in the Innovation District as well the first affordable housing development and additional multi-family development is planned to begin in 2026.
“SDSU is working closely with the developers to ensure smooth event-day operations during construction,” according to the university.
Residential construction on the eastern half of the property will occupy the area currently used as Snapdragon Stadium’s Orange Lot. The Innovation District is planned for what is now the Yellow Lot, south of the stadium. Two Innovation District buildings also are planned immediately east of the stadium in what are now grass staging areas. The hotel, which does not yet have a timeframe for construction, is to be located north of the stadium in what is now the Green Lot.
As construction progresses in the Orange and Yellow lots, parking structures will be built for visitors to Snapdragon Stadium.
