SAN DIEGO — Brown Field Municipal Airport in Otay Mesa is set to get a makeover with a new redevelopment project.
Local leaders participated in a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning, kicking off the beginning of a new era for the airport and the region.
“In 20 years, they won't be able to recognize Brown Field, you know, I think since the whole area is changing we want to be part of that change,” City of San Diego Chief of Airports Jorge Rubio said.
The project is expected to have a new restaurant, hotel, new industrial and commercial space. The City of San Diego said that it's the largest general aviation airport redevelopment project on the west coast at the moment.
“We are expecting that this will be one of the hubs that attracts more people, more employment, that it looks nice that it provides all of the services that San Diego needs and expects,” Rubio said.
Just over a mile north of the U.S.- Mexico border, Brown Field Airport serves general aviation aircrafts including private, corporate or skydiving. The project is expected to be completed into four phases over the next two decades with the first phase costing about 100 million dollars.
“We're expecting that the economic benefit is going to be over 1.5 billion to the local economy, not the airport itself,” Rubio said.
The project is expected to create about 2,500 airport-related jobs, making a significant economic impact in the area.
“It will elevate this airport into not only the region, not only to the nation but into the international trade as well because we are only a mile and a half from the border and we are already a binational airport,” Rubio said.
The first new buildings of phase one are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
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