San Diego planners gave unanimous approval recently to Cornerstone Communities for an Otay Mesa project with 450 townhouses, reported the San Diego Union Tribune. The Candlelight project is located in one of the few undeveloped areas of San Diego County, about a mile from the U.S.-Mexico border. Although the plan had previously been approved, changes to the unit types required a new vote. 

Environmental concerns, and plans for mitigation efforts, have kept the project in the planning stages, off and on, for roughly 12 years. After last Thursday’s vote, Cornerstone anticipates starting work on the site in September, with the first homes opening in late 2025. 

Cornerstone CEO Ure Kretowicz told the Union Tribune he envisions the project as workforce housing because early cost estimates put townhouses in the mid-$500,000 to low $600,000 range. Even the highest-priced models would be below the $802,500 median home price in January. 

2023 was a challenging year in commercial real estate, yet the industry’s leading dealmakers got it done. Do you know a leasing or investment sales broker or team who made a big impact in 2023 amid the year’s hurdles? Here’s an opportunity to acknowledge them. For the seventh year in a row, Connect Commercial Real Estate will be spotlighting the industry’s top dealmakers, and we’re inviting you to help us make our selections.  

Based on your nominations, we’ll recognize 110 leading brokers or teams of brokers for our 2024 Top Broker Awards, including both brokers who specialize in property sales and brokers who specialize in leasing. That includes:  

• Ten California winners  

• Ten Seattle/Pacific Northwest winners  

• Ten Phoenix/Southwest winners  

• Ten Texas winners  

• Ten Chicago/Midwest winners  

• Ten Boston/New England winners  

• Ten New York/Tri-State winners  

• Ten Washington, DC winners  

• Ten Atlanta/Southeast winners  

• Ten Florida/Gulf Coast winners  

• Ten National winners  

We’ll consider the deals completed by the brokers in 2023, based on the total dollar volume of deals for investment sales brokers, and the total square footage of deals for leasing brokers. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 9. Click here to submit your nominations.