Land cleared for Campus Town's first construction in Seaside

Overview of the Campus Town Project

The Campus Town project, currently in the process of scraping and grading a site along Lightfighter Drive, has started demolition of another large area along Gigling Road. This marks a significant step forward for the city of Seaside and developer KB Bakewell as they move closer to the beginning of vertical construction of the project.

“We started turning dirt for clearing and grubbing, obviously, the trees and everything else that had to go. That started right after the Fourth of July,” said Seaside City Manager Greg McDanel. “They completed that several weeks ago and moved onto the rough grading. The off-haul is 40,000 cubic yards of dirt that have been moved to city property near here for the future fire station.”

The Campus Town development is a planned mixed-use urban village aimed at revitalizing about 122 acres of former Army base land that is being developed by KB-Bakewell Seaside Venture, LLC.

Details of Phase 1A and 1B

The area of Phase 1A is about 37 acres and is bounded by Lightfighter Drive to the north, U.S. Army property to the south, General Jim Moore Boulevard to the east, and 1st Avenue to the west.

Phase 1B demolition, similar to what has taken place on 1A, was to begin Monday on a larger portion of the area that is bordered by General Jim Moore Boulevard to the west, Colonel Durham Street to the north, Gigling Road to the south, and 6th Avenue to the east. A small number of buildings in Phase 1B will be spared demolition through prior agreements. It will eventually see more housing and commercial opportunities for the community.

Planned development on Phase 1A includes a three- or four-star hotel of up to 225 rooms, along with the construction of housing and commercial opportunities.

“We’re working with the developer on finding a hotel interested in the location,” said McDanel, who added that he has worked on some other large-scale mixed-use developments similar to Campus Town earlier in his career, before being a city manager, as an employee for the city of Independence, Missouri.

McDanel was hired as the city manager earlier this year in time for the groundbreaking of Campus Town in April.

“This is a great time,” said McDanel. “We’ve got a lot of development, and it’s nice to be a part of this from turning of the dirt to seeing it all come out of the ground.”

Future Plans and Challenges

Phase 2, the hammerhead buildings left from the days when the area was part of the Fort Ord Army base, will be removed sometime next year.

“It’s got some challenges to work through than just the size and the scope,” said McDanel. “These were heavy construction. Just getting them down I think goes a long way as far as community clean up and perception, I mean this doesn’t reflect the character of Seaside and the progress and economic development that is occurring right now so we’ll be excited to get these down.”

The Campus Town project envisions a vibrant community consisting of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Comprehensive Development Plan

The project is planned to include 1,485 housing units catering to diverse household sizes and income levels, a 250-room hotel, and a 75-bed youth hostel to accommodate visitors. About 150,000 square feet will be designated for retail, dining, and entertainment venues, about 50,000 square feet allocated for office spaces, flexible work areas, and light industrial or “makerspace” uses, and about 9 acres of public open space and 3.3 acres of private open space for recreational purposes.

The entire development will be bound by Lightfighter Drive and Colonel Durham Street to the north, Gigling Road to the south, First Avenue to the west, and Seventh Avenue to the east. The Campus Town development aims to create a pedestrian-friendly environment with a variety of building types and uses, including entertainment, retail, housing, visitor lodging, and employment spaces. It seeks to provide shopping, employment, and housing opportunities in close proximity to Cal State University Monterey Bay, which would reduce vehicle miles traveled on a per capita basis.

Historical Background

The long-awaited residential and commercial development that is the Campus Town project in Seaside has been on the city’s books for several years. The city of Seaside entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with the KB Bakewell Development Partnership in December 2016 to develop approximately 122 acres on what was once the former Fort Ord Army Base. In 2017, KB Bakewell submitted applications to the city for the Campus Town development. The city of Seaside issued a Notice of Preparation for an Environmental Impact Report in February 2018, initiating the formal environmental review process. The project culminated in the City Council’s approval of the Campus Town Specific Plan, with a Notice of Determination filed in March 2020.

KB Bakewell was the developer in the early 2000s of Seaside Highlands.