SAN DIEGO — San Diego State University has approved a proposal for the first affordable housing project at SDSU Mission Valley.

Chelsea Investment Corporation has been selected to develop a housing project that will include 182 affordable units and a community-serving childcare center, university officials announced Monday.

Crews are expected to break ground on the project as early as 2025, SDSU said in a news release.

The first phase will bring 182 affordable housing units to the SDSU Mission Valley site. Chelsea would then deliver 109 additional affordable units in a second phase, the news release said.

Upon completion of the project, SDSU expects to have provided more than half of the 460 affordable units they committed to develop as part of the SDSU Mission Valley negotiations.

“SDSU has always been committed to the inclusion of affordable housing on-site at Mission Valley,” said a quote attributed to Gina Jacobs, Associate Vice President, Mission Valley Development. “In partnership with Chelsea, which has strong experience and success in developing similar projects, we are taking a big step toward fulfilling our long-standing commitment.” 

School officials said the project will consist of one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and four-bedroom units. The development will also include a state-of-the-art childcare center, a public art space and will be designed to be transit-friendly by having on-site bicycle storage and will be designed to access the Stadium Station trolley stop.

The 6,220 square foot childcare facility is expected to support up to 70 preschool and Pre-K children and will be operated by Episcopal Community Services.

The project will also include other amenities for resident, such as a community resource room with integrated electrical and USB outlets, a media center and computer lab, outdoor lounge spaces with barbecue and dining areas, a bike storage room with a bike repair station and electrical vehicle charging stations, SDSU said.

The development will also have pet-friendly policies, according to the news release.

When the SDSU Mission Valley development is fully built out, it is expected to have up to 4,600 market rate and affordable housing units, in addition to a hotel and 80 acres is parks and open space.

SDSU Mission Valley’s river park project is currently under construction and expected o be completed by the end of 2023, according to university officials.