Millenia's first apartment neighborhood, Pulse by Fairfield Residential, is nearing completion with the first move-ins scheduled in September. Located at the intersection of Birch Avenue and Eastlake Parkway, Pulse features 273 luxury apartments, a central plaza with pool, spa, sundeck, cabanas and showers, an outdoor fireplace lounge, fitness center, business center and other amenities. Leasing has commenced.

Stylus Park, a 1.9-acre public park just south of Pulse, is under construction with completion slated for this year. The urban-style park, one of six park planned for Millenia, is set to open in 2017 once the landscaping sufficiently matures.

Meridian Communities, the homebuilding arm of Meridian Development, has started site development on three attached residential condo neighborhoods in Millenia, all designed by the award-winning Woodley Architectural Group.

Metro will offer 72 two-story townhomes, ranging from approximately 1,300-1,500 square feet, with a stylish functional ambiance.

Designed to appeal to families, Trio will feature 66 two-story triplexes with private rear yards. Ranging from approximately 1,650 to 1,880 square feet, Trio will include casual open-style architecture and locations near the community's pool complex. Meridian's largest homes, called Evo, are designed with a very urban aesthetic, cutting-edge architecture and balconies that seamlessly extend the living spaces into the outdoors. Ranging from 1,680 to 1,950 square feet, Evo features a floorplan that will appeal to multi-generational families, as well as a stunning single-level penthouse on the third floor, accessed by a private elevator.

“Homeowners at Metro, Trio and Evo will share a beautiful resort-style pool area with an adjacent tiered grass area, gathering spots for outdoor dining and get-togethers, artistic playgrounds and paseos for evening strolls,” said Rey Ross, executive vice president, Meridian Communities.

San Diego developer Sudberry Properties is set to start construction in mid-2016 on an 11-acre gateway retail center located directly south of Otay Ranch Town Center and adjacent to SR125.

Trammell Crow Residential is currently seeking entitlements from the City of Chula Vista on a 309-unit apartment/mixed-use development in Millenia. According to Alec Schiffer, managing director of the Western Division of Trammell Crow Residential, it is their plan to start construction as soon as possible, tentatively in April 2016.

The Ayres Hotel chain, known for European-inspired hotels throughout Southern California, is under contract with Millenia with plans to build a four-story, 135-room hotel. Construction is expected to start by mid-2016.

Shea Homes San Diego is set to start construction on 176 urban-style townhomes and detached single-family residences in the first quarter next year.

Chelsea Investment Corporation is also scheduled to start construction in the first quarter on a 210-unit, five-story affordable housing neighborhood that includes 87 rental apartments for families and 123 apartments for seniors.

“We are in talks with Chesnut Properties, a major developer of large-scale business campuses and complex high performance life-science projects, to develop a 26-acre high tech/business campus, which would profoundly change the character of South County,” said Galarneau. “We anticipate groundbreaking on the first seven acres in the middle of next year.”

Completing next year's ambitious construction schedule, Meridian Development plans to break ground on the community's second public park, the 1.5-acre Strata Park.

Millenia, the heart and urban hub of the 22,899-acre Otay Ranch Master Plan, is planned for 3,000 residences, 2 million square feet of class A office space on 30 acres, 1.5 million square feet of retail, hospitality, civic and mixed-use projects and six themed urban parks.

Designed with a proliferation of pedestrian pathways, bicycle lanes, public transportation options, and a 20-foot wide promenade that links all planned parks, Millenia received Circulate San Diego's “Complete Street's” Project Award in 2014 and is a LEED-certified community. It has also been designated a Smart Growth Urban Center by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).