The Kearny Mesa Community Plan Update was approved in November, and according to Jason Paguio, Asian Business Association president and CEO, the plan "provides a blueprint to maintain the area as a major San Diego employment center while also increasing its residential population from approximately 10,000 to 60,000 by adding roughly 26,000 new homes in the next 30 years." It addresses the area's need for housing and includes a new zoning overlay in the Convoy District—the city's entertainment area.

"With that residential development and some public projects from the City of San Diego, expect to see smaller block sizes, linear parks, paseos and an explosion of street trees. In reference to one of downtown San Diego's hottest mixed-use neighborhoods, the San Diego Union-Tribune speculated that, with the passage of the Community Plan Update, Kearny Mesa is poised to become the next Little Italy," Paguio tells GlobeSt.com.

Job growth is driving the explosion in the market. Kearny Mesa is expected to add an additional 25,000 jobs, making it the second largest employment epicenter in San Diego. "In addition to the plethora of high-paying jobs in Kearny Mesa, the community is one or two freeway exit from the prestigious University Town Center (UTC), UC San Diego and Sorrento Mesa job markets, as well as a short drive from other major, high-paying employment centers like Mira Mesa and Mission Valley. Overall, Kearny Mesa sits within 10 miles of over one million jobs," says Paguio.