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SAN DIEGO-While many of the recent Downtown developments are going for high-rise vertical projects, some mid-rise developments are in the pipeline as well. Nexus, an eight-story, 90,000-sf project of Centex Homes, has broken ground. Centex is eyeing a completion date of July 2006.The mixed-use project, which is at the southwest corner of Ninth Avenue and G Street in the East Village area, is being designed by KMA Architecture & Engineering. While financial terms were not available on the project, it will include 76 residential units and 3,800 sf of retail space. Also included in the design are three levels of underground parking.According to KMA officials, the design also calls for "a stepped facade on Ninth Avenue, which meet the height limits for CCDC's Sun Access Criteria, established to maintain adequate sunshine and air on sidewalks and residential areas."Nexus is the latest mixed-use project for KMA. The firm has been among the leading designers of Downtown's residential makeover. Last summer, the firm began work on a 39-story, 200-unit project being developed by Centex Homes. The site, located at 15th and Island, was originally two industrial warehouses. The plan is to raze one of the buildings, putting the residential tower in its place, while repositioning the other building into a 6,000-sf retail site.