Downtown Hampton by Hilton is Approved

“The building was designed by San Diego-based Delawie. It described the building as a type of ‘contemporary resurgence’ that fits well into the East Village neighborhood,” writes Phillip Molnar with The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The entire article, New East Village hotel with 132 rooms approved, is below and available here.

New East Village hotel with 132 rooms approved

By Philip Molnar

Downtown is getting a new hotel near Petco Park.

The 14-story Hampton by Hilton hotel, at 923 Island Ave., was unanimously approved Wednesday by downtown planning agency Civic San Diego.

Plans call for 132 rooms and a 2,500-square-foot roofdeck restaurant and bar. It will take the place of an older two-story, four-unit apartment building on the site.

Developer J Street Hospitality said it plans to start construction in the spring of 2020, with completion near the end of 2021. It did not disclose the overall cost of the project. Its 2017 application with Civic San Diego estimated the project’s value at $25 million.

The 55,200-square-foot building will be next to the Half Door Brewing Company, a restaurant and bar. Of the two buildings on the site — the Hiatt House and Latonia Hotel — only the 133-year-old Hiatt was deemed historically significant, according to the city’s Historic Resources Board. The Latonia Hotel will be demolished, while the Hiatt will remain.

The city’s East Village historical survey lists the Hiatt as an example of the colonial revival style of architecture. It said the flared roof was reminiscent of Dutch colonial styles seen at the turn of the 20th century. A man named Ellsworth Hiatt is listed as the builder, but the architect is unknown.

No parking is planned at the Hampton hotel, which will rely nearby facilities and valet to park cars. The ground floor will include a lobby, courtyard and kitchen with dining space.

The rooftop bar will be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday. It will close by 11 p.m. the rest of the week. No live entertainment is planned for the bar in order to keep noise down for nearby residents.

The building was designed by San Diego-based Delawie. It described the building as a type of “contemporary resurgence” that fits well into the East Village neighborhood. In reports submitted to Civic San Diego, it said the slender design of the building is more reminiscent of a high-rise condo building.

The Civic San Diego staff report said the project would create 108 construction jobs and 65 permanent jobs.