Perry's Cafe conversion will bring 223 apartments to Old Town
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Rendering of Perry's Cafe. Photo: Courtesy of Zephyr
The project to convert Perry's Cafe in Old Town into apartments is in full swing and should be done in early 2028, the developers told Axios.
The big picture: This is just one example across the San Diego region of old buildings being converted into apartments to bolster housing supply.
- Instead of demolishing Perry's old diner, the plan is to turn it into the leasing office, Brad Termini, CEO of the developer Zephyr, told Axios.
Zoom in: The apartment complex will have 223 units over seven stories.
- Twenty will be reserved for very-low-income households and 13 for moderate-income households, according to city documents.
The goal is to use the Perry's project to build momentum on the stalled Midway Rising development, Termini said.
- The two projects are next to each other, and so people living at Perry's can walk over to the restaurants and stores at Midway.
Yes, but: Mayor Todd Gloria promised the City Council would vote on Midway Rising last spring, but that hasn't happened.
- Now the goal is to have a vote by fall, Termini said.
- "As the largest affordable housing development in California history, Midway Rising is an ambitious undertaking, and working through the final details requires thoughtful coordination and project planning is now nearly complete," he said in a statement to Axios.
Zoom out: There are other projects across the city turning old buildings into housing, including:
- The Fort, Mission Hills: An eight-story apartment and commercial project built out of a 1920s Art Deco Ford dealership and gas station.
- Newman Building, North Park: A proposed seven-story project with 92 apartments that would preserve two façades of the historic 1929 building.
- Celine, Little Italy: A proposed eight-story, 52-unit project that would relocate and reconstruct the historic Ordway Residence on-site.
- Plus, there are plans for housing at an old Fry's, a Cadillac dealership and the Mission Valley mall, per the Union-Tribune.