SOPHIE HUMMEL / ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The University of San Diego claimed victory at this year’s Commercial Real Estate Development  Association (NAIOP) competition, defeating  teams  from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and San Diego State University (SDSU). This marks USD’s first NAIOP win since 2022.

Over the last four months, USD seniors Ana Schramm, Aiden Spallone, Grace Morgan, Jelanie Brookins, Liam Haskett, Luke Pittock, TJ O’Rourke and Samuel Henig worked to identify the best use for a proposed site in Solana Beach that is set for renovation in the next five to 10 years. All three schools gathered at the Illumina Theater in Torrey Pines to present their projects and written pitch decks. 

On the first presentation day, student teams pitched their concepts to a panel of judges who were then able to ask questions and interview teams. one-third of the total score is based on the written proposal, another third consists of the judges Q&A interview, and the remaining third is dependent on the oral presentation which takes place the following day. 

USD senior Luke Pittock said the team invested time early on, meeting with community members, brokers, developers, land-use attorneys and ground-lease investors to check certain logistics from their project 

“We did a lot of outreach and research within the community to really understand the population of Solana Beach and make sure we were meeting their needs,” Pittock said.

This research shaped the team’s strategy to include the fewest dwelling units possible within a profitable model, rather than maximizing density. More units would have meant more parking, more traffic and therefore more opposition from neighbors. Their goal was to develop the most feasible model while maintaining profitability and community support. 

The team’s final plan, “The Heart on Cedros,” is a community-oriented residential development on Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach, featuring 92 for-rent units including row homes, two-story flats and apartments. 

USD senior Ana Schramm said the development’s identity was considered when choosing a name. 

“The hearth is the center of the home — it’s where people come together,” Schramm said. “Home is where the heart is, and ‘The Hearth on Cedros’ is where people come together. In the weeks leading up to submission deadlines, the team regularly stayed in the classroom well past their designated time. On one occasion, they worked for 11½ hours straight. 

Schramm said the time spent on development reflected their passion for the project.

“It  was  our  development  that   we created from start to finish, so our heart was in it as well,” Schramm said. “That really motivated us to work longer hours and spend a lot of time on it, because we knew it could be great if we put in the work and put in the effort.”

Pittock expressed a similar sentiment.  

“Even in those moments where things are tough, your back’s against the wall and you’ve got a deadline looming, we found a lot of joy and humor,” Pittock said. “I think that helped us produce a much better work product.”

Pittock recalled a moment when campus public safety walked into their late-night session and was surprised to find an entire class still working with the professor present.

The 4.6-acre plot included constraints,  such  as   a    Little League field, an office and a warehouse that had to remain untouched. The team also discovered that Solana Beach is one of the most difficult cities in California for development approvals, with roughly 12,000 residents. 

USD senior Samuel Henig described the work required to overcome  these  challenges and how it shaped his reaction to the win.

“When   they  announced  our  name, it was  just   a   huge celebration,” Henig said. “It felt really good, just knowing our hard work paid off,  and  we can  always  look back and know that we cemented our name into USD history.”

For the eight seniors preparing to enter the commercial real estate industry, the competition offered an invaluable opportunity to experience working with a real site, with dependent stakeholders, and a firm deadline. 

The USD students who won the competition pictured with their first-place trophy. Photo courtesy of Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate/Flickr