SAN DIEGO — More than 100 people turned out for a Wednesday Midway Rising meet and greet and some strong opinions were voiced.
Most seemed focused on the Midway-Sports Arena neighborhood as being too crowded already.
Stephanie Goldman lives in the Midway area, she said, "Traffic congestion, criminality, homeless issue."
Homeless encampments have been a problem for a long time.
"All you see is people strung out on drugs; walking around, laying on sidewalks, living in tents, stealing. That's what's going on. Talk to anybody," she said.
Midway Rising has plans for a new state-of-the-art Sports Arena, over 4,000 new condos, almost half considered affordable housing.
Plus, a 200-room hotel, a public plaza, retail stores, and parkland and open space.
The plans are ambitious and worrisome to residents.
Richard Thorn spoke out, "Definitely worried about the commute and where you gonna park everybody if you're gonna have a 16,000 person stadium or arena."
Catherine Long lives on Pt. Loma and she said, "We cannot get out of Pt. Loma now after two o'clock!"
There's support, too, for the renaissance that's envisioned.
The California Wild Ales brew pub on Newport Avenue, for instance.
Bill DeWitt was enthusiastic.
"I am hopeful this goes through; the economic vitality it brings to the neighborhood; bring out new businesses, gonna help solve some of the problems that exist," DeWitt said.
The developers said they want public input and this is just the first of many community meetings.
Shelby Jordan is a developer for Midway Rising and said, "We, as a team, the Midway Rising team, are committed to understand the traffic and transportation issues that exist; finding solutions with consultants and jurisdiction that currently exist."
WATCH RELATED: Measure C: Battle over Midway development heads to the Ballot Box (Oct. 2022).