America’s beach town is prioritizing its downtown these days. Life-sciences developer IQHQ is investing over $1.5 billion to build its 1.7-million-square-foot RaDD bayfront district, a bellwether for the sector even as leasing remains selective. On the biotech front, dealflow is brisk: Novartis moved to acquire San Diego-born Regulus Therapeutics in a transaction valued at up to $1.7 billion, while local biotech Creyon Bio inked a $1-billion multi-target RNA partnership with Eli Lilly. With universities ranked #18 and Business Ecosystem at #25, expect more innovation and local M&A.
Tourism and mega-projects track the same ascent. San Diego International’s new Terminal 1 opens 19 gates in late 2025, with another 11 gates scheduled by 2028. Smoothing 24/7 cross-border trade, the Siempra Viva bridge and roadway for the Otay Mesa East port of entry opened in 2025, with the full tolled connector advancing toward a 2028 debut. Gaylord’s first California property, the 1,600- room Pacific Resort & Convention Center, opened in May 2025, adding nearly a half-million square feet of meeting space on the Chula Vista waterfront. SeaWorld’s “Jewels of the Sea” jellyfish pavilion just opened, a boost for the #40-ranked Family-Friendly Attractions, and the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park has tapped Foster + Partners for a west-wing expansion to enhance galleries and access.