NCTD board moves forward on developing Transit Center
At its meeting Thursday the North County Transit District Board of Directors voted to work exclusively with Toll Brothers Apartment Living and Waterford Property Company to redevelop the 12.69-acre Escondido Transit Center site. Escondido Transit Center.
This vote “is the first step toward transforming the existing transit center into a vibrant community gathering space where residents and visitors can live, work, play and ride,” said a press release from NCTD.
“Redeveloping the Escondido Transit Center will improve the rider experience, bring new amenities, and generate transit ridership by activating the site and connecting it to needed housing and retail space,” said Tracey Foster, NCTD’s Chief Development Officer. “We are confident that Toll Brothers and Waterford have the requisite experience and knowledge of the Escondido community to make the project successful.”
The Transit District published a Request for Proposals (RFP) from October 2022 through May 2023 to solicit for a mixed-use development project at NCTD’s Escondido Transit Center.
According to NCTD, “Redevelopment of the site will maximize underutilized land around the existing center and create an engaging mobility hub that will increase ridership and regional connectivity, enhance the overall transit experience and support sustainability goals.”
The RFP emphasized transit prioritization and transit amenities. The board authorized an exclusive negotiating agreement with Toll Brothers and Waterford Entering into the ENA will allow all parties to work through the next steps in the planning process, including project design and engaging with the community on project features.
Toll Brothers and Waterford are required to work within the City of Escondido’s entitlement process.
Among the goals of the NCTD was to create market rate and affordable housing and provide public gathering spaces and placemaking elements.
The redevelopment project is expected to generate revenue through a long-term ground lease, increased transit ridership, creation of jobs, development of onsite housing with a range of affordability levels, and a reduction of automobile reliance.
According to NCTD, it “envisions that the redeveloped transit center will serve as a mobility hub that connects to existing trails and multi-modal access points and extends the historic downtown Escondido area. In addition to supporting NCTD’s long-term goals, the project will also help fuel economic growth, support local and state climate change and air quality goals, and advance our region’s transit connectivity.”
Escondido Transit Center is one of 11 sites being advanced for redevelopment by NCTD. The other projects include Carlsbad Village and Poinsettia Stations, Oceanside Transit Center, and seven SPRINTER Station locations.
For more information on NCTD’s redevelopment projects, visit GoNCTD.com/real-estate-redevelopment.