Downtown’s skyline-defining West tower is officially open for business and leisure with people already living in some of the building’s pricey apartments and a handful of signed office tenants expected to move in next year. The $510-million project at 1011 Union St. from developer Holland Partner Group uniquely marries three distinct uses — retail, residential and office — in an effort to shift downtown San Diego’s center of gravity west along Broadway.
The 37-story building’s array of amenities and artsy extras, starting with the decorative library in the lobby and extending to the lifeguard tower on the roof, are meant to ooze Southern California vibes. The building’s many opportunities for coastal views help amplify the effect. “The whole idea of West is West Coast culture, San Diego culture, trying to bring in the beach and the San Diego lifestyle ethos into a more commercial project,” said Brent Schertzer, who is the managing director for Holland.
Bounded by Broadway, Union, Front and C Street, West takes up one of three blocks that Holland and its partner, Japanese builder North America Sekisui House, acquired from the county in June 2019 after winning a bid to redevelop the former San Diego County Courthouse property. The project features 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 289,000 square feet of office space spread across the first eight floors, a shared amenity level with a gym on the ninth floor and 431 apartments on the upper levels. .