AVA is adding more units

There’s another update in our seemingly endless fight over housing regulations. The AVA Pacific Beach apartment complex was just approved to add 138 units to the property. The plan calls for redeveloping a parking lot and other “underutilized” space on site.

Despite the Turquoise Tower causing such a stir in North Pacific Beach, this addition appears to be largely noncontroversial.

Albert Kao, director of AVA’s parent company, AvalonBay Communities Inc., said the expansion will include seven affordable housing units, along with two parking structures, open-space amenity areas and landscape improvements. Plans also include a park along Jewell Street designed to enhance the community’s pedestrian experience. 

“These positive additions to the neighborhood, as well as its adherence to coastal height limits, have yielded near-universal support for the project,” Kao said.

What Kao did not address is how construction could affect the surrounding neighborhood. AVA is a massive property bordered by busy streets, single-family homes and rental units. A project of this scale is likely to take months and generate significant noise during work hours.

It often feels like something is always under construction here. Maybe we’ve grown numb to the drilling and hammering.

I haven’t.

P.S. Check out this recent article sharing fun details on Mission Beach’s rich history!