San Diego, it’s time. It’s time to get serious about the future.
What follows is a 20-year moonshot master plan, with the deadline of 2045. The workers, the will, and the votes are here and they are now. We have political and financial alignment. We need to be the city that features the tallest building in the world. And so, we’re going to build the tallest building in the world, right here, in downtown San Diego. You know in your heart of hearts, this is the true San Diego destiny. Here’s the roadmap broken into three mega-projects that must interlock.
Three Mega-Projects: Airport Relocation, World’s Tallest Tower, and High-Speed Rail
Phase 1 (2025–2030): Decision & Foundations
Airport Relocation Approval
- Secure Congressional + DoD approval for Miramar conversion.
- Regional vote + Airport Authority adoption of Miramar Master Plan.
- Begin NEPA/CEQA environmental review for airport + tower + rail corridor.
Tower Concept & Zoning Prep
- Create “Downtown Super-Tall District.”
- FAA height restriction lifted contingent on SAN closure.
- International design competition launched for the 1 km+ tower.
Rail Corridor Planning
- Geotechnical surveys for underground high-speed link.
- Choose tech: Maglev vs. conventional HSR.
- Lock alignment: Downtown (tower hub) → Mission Valley → Miramar Airport.
Phase 2 (2030–2035): Land, Legal, and Early Construction
Airport
- Begin Miramar airfield + first terminal construction.
- Build interim runways + support infrastructure.
Tower
- Consortium financing closed ($10B+).
- Seismic/wind/fire/life-safety modeling complete.
- Groundbreaking for podium + basements.
Rail
- Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) launched from both ends.
- Utility relocation and safety systems integrated.
Phase 3 (2035–2040): Transformation in Motion
Airport
- Miramar Airport partially operational (domestic + short-haul).
- SAN decommissioning begins; land transfer to Port/City.
Tower
- Vertical construction accelerates: 200–500 meters built.
- Skybridge/sky lobby engineering tested.
Rail
- Breakthroughs of first tunnels.
- Station shells built at tower base and Miramar.
Phase 4 (2040–2045): The Reveal
Airport
- Miramar fully operational as San Diego International Gateway.
- Prior SAN site fully redeveloped into parks, mixed-use, and super-tall zone.
Tower
- Tops out at >1,000 meters (3,300+ ft).
- Interior fit-outs: hotel, residences, offices, sky decks.
- Grand opening ceremony by 2045.
- Downtown crowned by the world’s tallest tower.
- Visible from Mexico to Los Angeles.
Rail
- Full commissioning of underground high-speed rail.
- 12-minute express from tower hub → Miramar Airport.
Global Symbol: San Diego transforms from “airport-capped mid-rise city” into the West Coast’s futuristic urban showpiece.
Budget Ranges
| Project | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Airport Relocation & Construction | $25–35B |
| World’s Tallest Tower | $10–15B |
| High-Speed Underground Rail | $12–18B |
| Total Mega Program | $50–70B |
Spread across 20 years, with global investment + federal/state support.
What Should We Call This New Building?
🌊 San Diego / Regional Identity
- Pacific Spire – speaks to the ocean, elegance, and limitless horizon.
- Cabrillo Tower – honoring Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the first European to chart the California coast.
- Coronado Spire – ties to Coronado, the crown of San Diego Bay.
- Torrey Pinnacle – evoking the rare Torrey pine, unique to the region.
🌌 Visionary / Cosmic
- Horizon One – the place where Earth and sky meet.
- Celestis – Latin-rooted, celestial, aspirational.
- Infinity Tower – symbolizing limitless ambition.
- Skyline Apex – literally the highest point of the skyline.
🏛️ Historical / Cultural Resonance
- Kumeyaay Tower – honoring the region’s indigenous people.
- Americas Spire – positioned as the symbolic “gateway tower” of the Western Hemisphere.
🔥 Bold / Mythic
- Solara – sun-powered, radiant, tied to San Diego’s endless sunshine.
- Oceanus – named after the Titan of the great world-ocean.
Are you ready to get to work?
