NCTD Chooses Firms to Redevelop 2 Carlsbad Transit Stations, with Other Projects in Works

The North County Transit District (NCTD) board has voted to enter exclusive negotiations with groups seeking to be part of upcoming transit redevelopment projects in Carlsbad.

The vote, taken Thursday, applies to work planned at two transit stations, Carlsbad Village and Poinsettia, both about 11 acres in size.

The board chose West Village Partners, which includes Sea Breeze Properties, LLC and FABRIC Investments, Inc., for the Carlsbad Village project, and Raintree Partners for the Poinsettia project.

The agency is seeking to transform the existing stations into “vibrant community gathering spaces where residents and visitors can live, work, play and ride.”

Matthew O. Tucker, NCTD’s executive director, said the groups’ “experience and knowledge of the Carlsbad community and similar projects, combined with our vision for the future of transit, makes them the right fit for these projects.”

A request for proposal (RFP) was issued last April for mixed-use development projects at the Carlsbad Village and Poinsettia stations. The agency plans for redevelopment include maximizing underutilized land around the stations and creating “engaging mobility hubs” to increase ridership and regional connectivity while enhancing the overall transit experience.

Support for sustainability goals is also a factor.

The exclusive negotiation agreements, agency officials said, cover the next steps in the planning process, from project designs to community engagement.

“We have tremendous experience in developing mixed-use, community-based projects of this scale as seen with our North City project in San Marcos,” said Darren Levitt of Sea Breeze Properties, LLC, part of the Carlsbad Village station project.

Raintree Partners’s Jason Check said his firm’s goal “is to create an engaging environment that extends off the train and into the community, making transit more enjoyable and convenient for commuters, residents and Carlsbad visitors.”

NCTD officials say benefits of the redevelopment include added revenue through long-term ground leases, increased ridership, job creation and affordable housing, and a reduction in automobile reliance.

Nine other sites are being considered for redevelopment by NCTD, including the Oceanside and Escondido transit centers, and seven SPRINTER Station parking lots.