The State Lands Commission approved the plan last spring but imposed several conditions upon that approval. The port first announced it would buy the lots, bounded by 12th Avenue on the west, 14th Street on the east, Imperial Avenue on the south and K Street on the north, three years ago for $21 million.

The lots would hold 800 cars, and under the deal, the city would grade and paint the land and turn the property over to the port. The lots would be used for tailgate parties on game days and for a staging area for commercial vehicles serving the San Diego Convention Center.

The purchase was announced in late 1998 to help fill a shortfall in funding for the proposed Downtown ballpark, which has since run into a host of lawsuits and delays. The city and the Padres are hoping to resume construction on the ballpark in about a month.