Post | The Dinerstein Companies

A developer revealed its plans for a new housing project in Mission Valley that will span more than five acres.

Millennium Mission Valley recently broke ground and will bring roughly 300 new apartments, 9,000 square feet of retail space, and a public plaza to the corner of Camino Del Rio North and Camino Del Arroyo, which for years had been occupied by a car dealership and boat repair service.

Developed by Houston-based The Dinerstein Companies and designed by TCA Architects, the four-story project is alongside Interstate 8 and a block away from Westfield Mission Valley West. The retail shops—two single-story buildings fronting Camino Del Rio North—will be separated from the apartment complex by 4,000 square feet of open space and a parking lot. The complex also includes 14 “shopkeeper” live-work units.

Josh Vasbinder, West Coast partner of The Dinerstein Companies, said that the goal is to create a pedestrian-oriented atmosphere for residents and shoppers. “By creating a more walkable environment along the project frontage we hope it helps create more opportunities, be it redevelopment or new businesses, to this part of Mission Valley,” Vasbinder said.

For the retail portion of the project, Vasbinder said they are seeking a chef-driven restaurant concept and local businesses who can bring needed services to the area. “Overall, the developer’s objective is to find tenants that will help strengthen the main street feel that was created via the architectural design,” he said.

The project is planned to be completed in 2017. Rent prices haven’t been established yet, Vasbinder said.

The Millennium is one of six large-scale developments that are being constructed or planned in Mission Valley, including Sudberry Properties’ “city within a city” Civita development in Mission Valley East, the scheduled $80 million renovation of the Town and Country Resort, and proposals to redevelop the Union-Tribune headquarters and Riverwalk Golf Club. Whether the neighborhood can handle the projected number of new residences, hotel rooms, and businesses is up for debate.