Newsom Signs Legislation Clearing Path for Midway District, Sports Arena Redevelopment

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two bills that clear a legislative path for the long-stalled redevelopment of San Diego's Midway District and the Sports Arena property, legislation that Mayor Todd Gloria says will deliver "greater certainty to move this long-awaited vision forward."

Senate Bills 344 and 958, signed Tuesday, adjust how the California Environmental Quality Act applies to the Midway Rising project — the $3.9 billion redevelopment of 49 acres of city-owned land at the Sports Arena site.

"San Diegans have waited decades to see the Midway District transformed," Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement. "With Governor Newsom's signature on SB 344 and SB 958, we now have greater certainty to move this long-awaited vision forward."

What the project delivers

The Midway Rising development would add 4,254 new homes to the site — including nearly 2,000 deed-restricted affordable units, making it the largest affordable housing development in California history according to SB 344. The plan also includes 14.5 acres of open space and a 16,000-seat entertainment center to replace the aging Pechanga Arena.

"These bills preserve the environmental review required under CEQA while providing greater clarity so projects that comply with the law are not tied up for years in unnecessary delay," Gloria said. "That allows us to stay focused on what matters most: turning an underused public property into housing, public spaces, and a modern arena that will serve San Diegans for generations."

Senator Akilah Weber Pierson introduced the legislation alongside Assemblymember Chris Ward and Senator Steve Padilla, all San Diego-area Democrats. Gloria thanked them and Governor Newsom, as well as "the members of our San Diego legislative delegation and labor partners who worked to get them across the finish line."

Years of legal obstacles

The Midway Rising project has faced repeated legal challenges. The nonprofit Save Our Access, which advocates maintaining a 30-foot building height limit in the coastal zone, sued the city over height limits. With the new laws in place, project spokesperson Jeff Meyer told KPBS that shovels could be in the ground by the end of 2027 if the City Council approves the project this fall.

"This is an important step toward turning decades of discussion into action," Gloria said.