San Diego, Tijuana real estate showcased at international summit

Megaregion featured at high‐profile international investor event

SAN DIEGO (March 7, 2017) – Real estate development opportunities in the San Diego‐Tijuana Megaregion will be showcased in a 420‐square‐foot exhibit for the first time at MIPIM, the premier international real estate conference, held later this month in Cannes, France. 

---

​The four­‐day event runs from March 14 to 17 and attracts over 21,000 participants from all over the world, including investors, developers, architects, planners, brokers, business leaders and corporate end‐users. Participants come from all sectors – office, residential, retail, healthcare, sport, logistics and industrial – creating an unparalleled environment for networking and business development.  

“For many international investors, San Diego remains a bit of an unknown,” said Bob Kevane, President of the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR), which will lead a San Diego coalition to Cannes for MIPIM. “Over the past few years we’ve made great strides to build relationships with international partners, and this year we’re stepping it up even more.” 

San Diego representatives have attended the event for several years as part of the larger National Association of REALTORS® delegation, but this is the first time the San Diego‐Tijuana megaregion will have its own dedicated exhibit space on the trade show floor. The pavilion will highlight major development opportunities, such as the 535‐acre Chula Vista Bayfront and the 210‐acre Millenia mixed­‐use district.  

“With more developable land than any other city in the region, Chula Vista is in a unique position for companies that want to take advantage of the robust and growing cross­‐border economy,” Chula Vista Mayor Mary Casillas Salas said. 

In a letter to MIPIM delegates, San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Tijuana Mayor Jaun Manuel Gastélum and Mayor Casillas Salas say: “Tijuana and San Diego’s geographically blessed location is more than just a doorway to trade and commerce: it’s a doorway to world­‐renowned beaches and bays and a quality of life found in few other places. We invite you to discover all that the San Diego­‐Tijuana Megaregion has to offer for your business investments.” 

Mayor Casillas Salas is attending the conference along with San Diego Port Commissioner Ann Moore, Chestnut Properties COO Susan Guerra, several REALTORS® as well as faculty and staff from the Burnham­‐Moores Center for Real Estate at the University of San Diego.  

Stath Karras, Executive Director of the Burnham­‐Moores Center and former Chairman of the San Diego Regional EDC and current Chairman of CONNECT, said the timing is perfect to showcase San Diego to the world. 

“San Diego has a very diverse economic base, the largest military installation in the U.S. – to take advantage of the increase in military spending – is a world leader in biotechnology, has an accretive and significant economic relationship with Mexico and is one of the most highly regarded travel destinations in the world,” Karras said. “It is no surprise that the Brookings Institute and JP Morgan recently chose to include San Diego in their Global Cities Initiative.” 

The San Diego­‐Tijuana pavilion at MIPIM is sponsored by SDAR, the San Diego Regional EDC, the Burnham‐Moores Center for Real Estate at USD, the City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego. The pavilion will be stocked with local craft beer from Karl Strauss and Ballast Point to showcase that growing sector of our local economy. 

The goal is to boost awareness and foreign investment in our region, part of a wider effort by SDAR that included pairing international investors with local developers and others at the International Real Estate Congress last year. 
​
“In addition to building buzz around all the opportunities we have today, we’re also connecting and making an impression so that a few years from now, when an international investor in London or Shanghai or Paris is thinking about where they want to invest next, San Diego is on their list,” said Erik Caldwell, Economic Development Director for the City of San Diego.  

Contact: Tony Manolatos, [email protected] 

​With more than 14,000 members, the Greater San Diego Association of REALTORS® is the largest trade association in the county. We help our members, who adhere to a code of ethics and professional standards, sell more homes. We also help people realize the dream of home ownership, and we are dedicated to protecting private property rights. You can follow SDAR on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.