The city of San Diego took a small but consequential step this week to help make possible a long-envisioned bridge in Mission Valley, southwest of the Snapdragon Stadium site, that will offer a rare north-south connection across the San Diego River. Tuesday, San Diego City Councilmembers voted 6-0 t o transfer a 2-acre swath of property from the city’s Public Utilities Department to the Transportation Department and dedicate the site as a public right-of-way, at a cost of $92,977.43 to the latter department. The action is a necessary step in preparation for construction of Fenton Parkway Bridge, a $53-million project that will be built and primarily paid for by San Diego State University. “If approved, the dedication will allow San Diego State University to move forward with the construction of the bridge, which is part of the continued development of San Diego State Mission Valley,” Marc Frederick, a program manager in the city’s real estate division, told council members. SDSU expects to start construction at the end of September, and the work is expected to take 14 months to complete, Gina Jacobs, an SDSU Mission Valley project executive, told the Union-Tribune. The city’s action is necessary to allow for public use of the future bridge, although the university has continued to work through the bridge permitting process as planned, she said. Contemplated since the 1980s, the Fenton Parkway Bridge resurfaced in 2019 as a sticking point when the city was negotiating the sale of its Mission Valley stadium site to SDSU. The school went on to purchase 135 acres of land along Friars Road in August 2020 for $88 million, with a commitment in the purchase and sale agreement to build the bridge. The bridge is meant to create a north-south connection over the San Diego River — not subject to flooding — that lessens traffic congestion, promotes biking and walking, and facilitates access to the Fenton Parkway Trolley Station just west of the SDSU Mission Valley campus. The project calls for a 450-foot-long bridge, built at grade with the trolley crossing, with one traffic lane in each direction and an optional flex lane for use during stadium events and emergencies. The 58-foot-wide bridge will also have elevated bike and pedestrian pathways. Per the terms of a 2022 agreement with the city, SDSU is responsible for the bridge’s design and construction. Fenton Parkway Bridge was estimated to cost $53 million in September 2024, when the California State University Board of Trustees signed off on the project and certified the final environmental impact report. The city, which will own and operate the bridge upon completion, is contributing up to $10.9 million toward project expenses, with funds from developer impact fees and the Mission Valley transaction proceeds previously set aside for the project. The university is on the hook for the balance of project costs. Tuesday’s council action approved the departmental asset transfer and the dedication of 88,838 square feet of land to allow for public use of the future bridge site. The site is currently owned by the city’s Public Utilities Department as part of a larger parcel owned by the department for flood control within the San Diego River. The department is required to be paid fair market value for any land that is purchased, rented or encumbered, according to a September 2025 appraisal of the property. The appraisal set the fair market value of the 2-acre site, which was valued as a street easement, at $80,600. The department will also be reimbursed for the recent restoration of 0.14 acres, with the value set at $12,377.43, according to a staff report prepared for council members. The city’s Transportation Department, which is taking over the property, is also picking up the tab, using money from a project-specific fund. Councilmember Joe LaCava questioned, however, why the city is absorbing the cost. “Why is Transportation doing that as opposed to San Diego State?” LaCava said. “These days, $93,000 is a lot of money.” Frederick, the real estate program manager, could not provide a specific reason. “Well, one way to answer is, the cost of the bridge is over $53 million. The city has contributed a little over $8 million. That came from the carve-out from the proceeds of the sale of the stadium site. The balance then, close to $45 million, is coming from SDSU and the developers, out of impact fees for SDSU Mission Valley,” Frederick said. “This particular $93,000, ultimately, the Transportation Department will be the managing department for the asset. They’re making the payment for that.” Tuesday’s agenda item was considered by the full council without first going through a council committee, as is typical. The item was scheduled to be heard at the Feb. 5 Land Use and Housing Committee meeting, but the meeting was adjourned. Delaying consideration of the item would have impacted the bridge’s construction schedule, according to the direct docket request from Economic Development Department Director Christina Bibler. The land dedication was approved unanimously with Councilmembers Sean Elo-Rivera, Raul Campillo and Marni von Wilpert absent. ...read more read less