A New Way of Living at Secoya on Fifth
Secoya on Fifth
After opening its doors in the Spring of 2022, McCullough is excited to feature Secoya on Fifth this month. Secoya on Fifth is a 62,529 square foot, eight-story, mixed-use residential project led by the experienced and passionate development team at the Murfey Company.
Working in conjunction with Steven Dalton Architects and Pasco Lauret Suiter & Associates engineers, the Secoya on Fifth project is an incredible example of developer-led collaborative design.
“The Murfey Company’s desire to engage multiple disciplines in the process from start to finish showcased the advantages of team-driven decision making. As challenges arose, local and state-wide regulations and requirements were quickly addressed as design iterations were explored graphically and verbally by the design team. This supportive and empowering momentum has ultimately resulted in a design that is sure to impress both the development’s tenants and the community’s neighbors.”
-Zeek Magallanes, MLA, ASLA, Associate
Murfey Company
Located in San Diego, Murfey Company is a well-known real estate development company with a wide variety of services. Using state-of-the-art technology and fueled by their passion for all things in the built environment, the company brings their cool lifestyle brand into their projects, capturing the So Cal vibe of coastal communities. Read more about the Murfey Company in our September 2020 Client of the Month feature here.
With a well-rounded and diverse group of qualified professionals, the company is positioned as a clear-cut leader in the areas of development, investments, and construction.
The Project
Secoya on Fifth is in the heart of the Uptown Community in San Diego, California. The project features exciting ground-floor commercial spaces that visually connect to the life of the street by way of beautifully framed storefront glass windows. Future uses and flexibility have been designed into these spaces to allow a seamless indoor-outdoor experience.
The streetscape along both Fifth Ave. and Redwood St. is directly enhanced with thoughtfully designed parkways featuring low-growing and architecturally engaging shrub forms that provide seasonal interest and showcase the project’s commitment to water conservation. The use of Jacarandas along both Fifth Ave. and Redwood St. not only provide much needed shade for pedestrians, but also a much-anticipated display of lavender blooms every summer. Jacarandas also help to reinforce the City of San Diego’s vision for the Uptown Community and connect it to its existing context.
An aesthetically engaging and elegant lobby meets residents as they enter from Fifth Ave. Refined units feature generous private balconies to enjoy the indoor-outdoor life that characterizes Southern California. Two common open spaces provide ample opportunities for residents to relax after a long day or on the weekends, host guests and visitors, or engage with neighbors to build and strengthen community ties.
On the ground-floor a densely planted oasis greets residents as they enter off the lobby. The courtyard features a large communal table as well smaller accessible seating areas for both private and public engagement. A unique and ADA accessible outdoor BBQ island allows all residents an opportunity to host events and cook-outs. Tucked into a verdant corner is an accessible spa where residents can enjoy a soothing dip under the dappled shade of a large canopy shade tree. Finally, an intimate seating area around a circular fire bowl provides an opportunity for memorable conversations around the playful flames.
On the Level Eight amenity deck residents are treated to a spectacular view of the Downtown skyline and surrounding neighborhood. As one exits the building corridor they step out under the shade of an overhead pergola and find themselves in an outdoor living room, - complete with comfortable seating, an outdoor TV, raised planters, and a low fire table for both day-time and night-time use. To the side is a large communal dining table enveloped by a raised planter featuring flowing grasses and shrubs that glow in the setting sun and follow the warm San Diego breeze. An accessible outdoor BBQ island allows for cooking in the open air and is complimented with an accessible table for residents to dine in comfort. As one looks out over the neighborhood, they will immediately appreciate the low planter with grasses and shrubs which screen out the busy city streets below and help to create a sense of being on a natural overlook where one can focus on the beauty of San Diego’s skies.
Complete Communities
Secoya on fifth is among the first projects to be completed under San Diego’s Complete Communities Plan. Complete communities is an urban and rural planning concept that aims to meet the basic needs of all residents of a community. It is a milestone program that recognizes inequities in San Diego and it was passed in 2020. Thoughtful and inclusive planning initiatives and programs aim to create a healthy environment and thriving communities that will serve to enhance the quality of life for all residents, regardless of their background and identity.
Read more about Complete Communities here.
McCullough Wins Projects in California
We are pleased to announce McCullough has won new projects in the greater San Diego area: the Oceanside Transit Center Redevelopment, and the City of Santee Arts & Entertainment District. These projects demonstrate McCullough’s ability to create vibrant cultural destinations and thriving communities through its sustainable and creative landscape design.
The Oceanside Transit Center Redevelopment will improve the area Transit Center with a relocated bus island, integrated ticketing center, additional parking, and enhanced amenities. This Toll Brothers project will also add affordable and market rate housing, office, and retail on 10.2 acres around the Transit Center.
The City of Santee Arts & Entertainment District involves creating a city framework, master planning, and engaging residents in a visioning process which will ultimately be incorporated into the City’s General Plan and the Specific Plan for the Town Center. McCullough is partnering with M.W. Steele Group to plan this lively cultural destination.
Zeek Magallanes, MLA, Studio Team Leader at McCullough, says, “The new City of Santee Arts and Entertainment District will become the heart and soul of the city as it continues to balance proper density with a vibrant and active community.”
Maha Attends Bisnow’s Greater Sacramento Deep Dive
Pictured above: Greater Sacramento Economic Council, Photo by Hugo Martinez
As our Northern California-based Senior Associate, it is essential for Maha and the McCullough team to be on the pulse of major developments in Sacramento and the surrounding areas. We were happy to sponsor Bisnow’s recent Sacramento State of the Market event held in downtown Sacramento last month. As David McCullough often remarks, it’s not just about a particular building, it’s the things around it and how they interact with each other that make a city an amenity.
Hosted at the newly renovated 120,000 SF mixed-use office and retail building SixSixty, the event took place in the heart of downtown Sacramento, a vibrant retail, restaurant, and entertainment destination.
Sacramento is a city on the rise, and it’s not just because of its proximity to the Bay Area. The city’s commercial real estate market is booming, with major investments in Sacramento’s downtown area as well as its suburbs. This growth has been driven by several factors: an increase in urban migration trends, as well as innovation on the horizon.
The Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) gave the community an update on the city's most important developments and trends.
Panelists described major projects like The Bridge District and UC Davis, while keynote speaker Gary May, Chancellor of UC Davis, spoke about the innovation that fuels economic momentum in Sacramento.
In a phase of the Bridge District, McCullough along with architectural firm, PGAL has proposed a design that compliments the urban fabric with a strong ecological story embracing the natural waterfront along the Sacramento River similar to McCullough’s Zizhu Purple Bay, a master planned urban waterfront development in Shanghai.
In addition, The University of California has invested $1 billion into its Davis campus over the last decade, which has led to a significant increase in research funding for projects like cancer research and green technology development.
Sacramento is also home to some of the most prestigious sports teams in the country. In addition to being home to two professional basketball teams, the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, it is also home to one of the most successful minor league baseball franchises in America, the Sacramento River Cats.
“Innovation, research, science, tech, healthcare, and sports fuel economic momentum in Sacramento,” says the Greater Sacramento Economic Council.
There are also major challenges still taking place such as the lack of housing affordability. “We’ve got to deal with homelessness. It’s a huge issue and we need to take care of our people,” notes John Hodgson, president of the Hodgson Company, a Sacramento based real estate development, land use, and government advocacy firm.
Thank you to Bisnow and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council for hosting the event. We look forward to continuing the conversation.
Photo by Hugo Martinez