Shea Properties' Mercado Project Awarded Planning Project Honors by San Diego Chapter of the American Planning Association

Online, April 29, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The San Diego chapter of the American Planning Association has awarded top honors in the Planning Project category to Shea Properties, Chelsea Investment Company and Northgate Markets for their mixed-use Mercado del Barrio, a project located in the heart of San Diego's Barrio Logan neighborhood.

The SDAPA will hand out the award April 30 at U.C. San Diego at its annual ceremony honoring the finest in urban planning. The Planning Project Award is bestowed on a specific planning project of unusually high merit that is in the process of being constructed or has been completed within the last year.

"We are honored that our peers in the industry recognize the quality of Mercado Del Barrio and its status as a catalyst development to spur economic activity throughout the historic southeastern San Diego neighborhood," said Kevin McCook, vice president of development for Shea Properties.

The $80-million Mercado Del Barrio features a 36,000-square-foot Northgate Market as an anchor and 92 affordable housing units built atop retail and restaurant space by Chelsea. The San Diego City Council has approved the project as a business improvement district, and as a result, the Port of San Diego is expected to install a Barrio Logan welcome sign, similar to those found in other San Diego neighborhoods.

The SDAPA's award ceremony is co-sponsored this year by the UCSD Urban Studies & Planning Program. The purpose of the awards is to encourage quality in planning and to increase the public's awareness of the planning profession through recognizing outstanding achievement in the field. Each year, the San Diego Section APA considers nominations from throughout the region in a variety of fields. A representative jury is then assembled to consider the nominations.

About Shea Properties (www.sheaproperties.com)
Shea Properties, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., is a diversified real estate company responsible for the acquisition, design, development, construction and management of business parks, shopping centers, apartment communities and mixed-use environments. Since beginning operations in 1969, annual revenues have grown steadily to more than $200 million, while the overall value of the portfolio has grown from $150 million to more than $2.25 billion. Shea Properties currently owns and operates approximately 6,000 apartment units and 5 million square feet of office, industrial and retail space in California and Colorado.