San Diego Reaches Negotiation Agreement for Urban Village

The San Diego City Council has entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with joint-venture partners Oliver McMillan Inc. and the Odmark Development Co., San Diego, to develop an urban village on 12.4 acres in Hillcrest.

The project, to be located at the site of the former Sears Roebuck & Co. store on Cleveland Avenue, will include a centrally located community center, 370 residential units ranging in size from 675 to 1,200 square feet and 140,000 square feet of commercial space.

Detailed architectural and acquisition plans will be presented to the council in late May.

The Oliver McMillan/Odmark partnership has agreed to purchase the site from the city for $10.56 million, with escrow due to close June 30, followed by a construction start in July and expected occupancy in the fall of 1989.

Ted Odmark, president of Odmark Development and a longtime resident of the Hillcrest area, said he and his partner worked closely with representatives from the Hillcrest Assn., the University Heights Community Assn. and the Uptown Planners to create an urban complex that would invite pedestrian use.

The SGPA Planning and Architecture and architects Lorimer-Case have been commissioned to design the retail and residential portions of the project, respectively.