San Diego’s North Park, a 1,980-acre neighborhood northeast of Balboa Park and one of the city’s first suburbs, is undergoing a transformation, with old buildings being razed to make way for new, denser housing. The neighborhood, which has more than 46,000 residents and 3.5M SF of commercial space, is home to a number of historic buildings and landmarks, including the North Park Theater, Lafayette Hotel, North Park Community Park water tower, and many homes and commercial buildings with historic designations.

The city's first LGBT, mixed-income senior apartment community (pictured), a $27M project with 76 units, is part of North Park's residential building boom.

But unlike past infill development here, North Park is incorporating city and state policy changes aimed at combating global warming, sprawl and transportation congestion with transit-oriented development, walkable neighborhoods, mixed-use and live/work/play planning, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. A proposed redevelopment plan from the North Park Community Planning Group calls for boosting population to more than 70,000 over the next 30 years. The plan would increase allowable residential density along major corridors by nearly one-third, or 35 units on top of the 110 units/acre now allowed.

The neighborhood’s current development boom has delivered 906 apartment units, valued at $225M, since 2010; generated a 40% increase in annual sales tax revenue to $2.8M between 2010 and 2015; and increased revenue from hotel taxes 176%, to more than $580k yearly over the last five years. [SDUT]