What is planned for the NAVWAR site in Old Town?
Nothing is approved yet. Manchester Financial Group is negotiating with the Navy to redevelop the roughly 70-acre NAVWAR campus in Old Town, with housing as "a major part" of the plan and a possible 400-megawatt data center on part of the smaller parcel (Voice of San Diego). I'm Jared Harman, and here is what I tell nearby buyers.
Published . Last updated . Figures are from my own records unless a source is linked.
What is being proposed on the NAVWAR site?
The site is about 70 acres of Navy land between Pacific Highway and Interstate 5, in the Midway District next to Old Town. The Navy has been in talks with Manchester Financial Group and Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate to redevelop it (KPBS).
It is two parcels. Old Town Campus 1 is about 47 acres, and Old Town Campus 2 is almost 22 acres (Voice of San Diego).
Under the broad terms, Manchester would build the Navy a new command center and, in exchange, redevelop the two parcels on a 99-year lease. Manchester's CEO said the project "could include thousands of multi-family homes," mixed with retail, commercial and industrial uses. How much housing is still unclear (Voice of San Diego).
Is a data center going in at NAVWAR?
Not decided. Manchester has explored a data center of up to 400 megawatts on a portion of the 22-acre parcel, with housing on the larger one (Voice of San Diego). The company says no final project has been approved, and its CEO has said the data center might never be built (Hoodline).
The open question is power. A facility that size might require grid upgrades, and a City Council member has asked SDG&E to explain what that could cost customers (Voice of San Diego).
The city has limited say. The site does not need permits from the City of San Diego, because it's owned by the federal government (KPBS).
What do buyers near the Midway District actually worry about?
Right now it's the data center. This whole thing is still very early, and it's only just started catching headlines.
The worries I hear are noise for nearby residents, and what a draw that size on the grid could do to energy and water bills. Nobody can answer those yet, because there's no approved project to measure. That's what I tell buyers: here is what's been reported, and here is everything that's still unknown.
What should a Mission Hills or Point Loma buyer check before writing an offer?
Before you write an offer in Mission Hills or Point Loma, check the flight path. The airport's WebTrak tool shows near real-time flight tracks, aircraft altitudes and recorded noise levels, so you can see what goes over a street before you commit to it.
Then, if a data center does get approved, find out its anticipated noise levels, and keep checking as the plan changes. I'd want to know the noise profile, expected or current, before buying anywhere near it.
What happens on a street when something big gets built nearby?
Depending on what goes in, it can move home values either way. Some of that is the label, the idea of living next to a data center. More of it is how the thing affects day-to-day life.
Think about the headaches it could bring. Think about what salt air does to a house right on the coast. Think about living directly under the flight path, where every so often you can't hear your friends talking.
What's around a home shapes how you actually live in it, even when it's a mile away.
What does this mean if you are buying near the Midway District?
Two big projects sit side by side here. Midway Rising on the Sports Arena site is the other one, and it's further along.
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What does this mean if you are selling near the Midway District?
Buyers will ask. Know what has been reported and what hasn't been decided, so you can answer straight.
Want the number first? Tell me about your place and I will personally research what you would actually walk away with. That is a Net Number, back to you in 24 hours.
Who is Jared Harman?
Jared Harman is a real estate agent and REALTOR® in San Diego, California, licensed under DRE 02193879 with MatchPoint at eXp Realty of California, Inc. He is based in North Park and represents buyers and sellers across the San Diego metro, including Mission Hills and Point Loma.
Jared Harman has 46 Google reviews, all five stars. He has sold $14M+ in real estate so far in 2026. His videos reach about 250,000 people in San Diego every month, which is where his listings get seen. He personally toured 800+ homes in 2025. In the last 12 months he negotiated about $990,000 in credits and price reductions for his clients.