2026 UC San Diego NAIOP Team

NAIOP (the Commercial Real Estate Development Association) is one of North America’s leading commercial real estate organizations. It provides advocacy, education, mentoring, student scholarships, business and networking opportunities. It has local chapters across the country including one here in San Diego, NAIOP San Diego. 

NAIOP chapters across the country sponsor an annual competition, the University Challenge, to provide students with an opportunity to compete in a head-to-head real estate competition. Here in San Diego, teams from UC San Diego, the University of San Diego and San Diego State University compete to develop the highest and best use for an actual development site in San Diego County. Teams address issues such as financing, sustainable development, market analysis, affordable housing, site design, transit-oriented development, community benefit, entitlements, feasibility and investment returns. A judging panel of nine senior level commercial real estate professionals serves as a mock investment committee. Each team must defend their development proposal privately in front of the committee and then present it to an audience of real estate professionals, industry leaders, university faculty members and fellow students.

The case study for the 2026 NAIOP University Challenge was the Solana Beach School District Office. This four-and-a-half acre site presented a unique opportunity to redevelop district-owned land through a ground lease structure, with the retention of the school district office, an engineering warehouse, and a Little League baseball field on-site. The site was designated for commercial use despite its location in a low-rise residential neighborhood that prioritizes maintaining its small-town coastal identity, making it well suited for a thoughtfully scaled residential project with limited, neighborhood-serving retail.

Meaning “path” in Spanish, Sendero Solana Beach is a community-focused, mixed-use development centered around a pedestrian pathway that guides residents and visitors towards the ocean. The pathway is embedded with seaglass and shells to double as a public art feature, reflecting Solana Beach’s artistic character.

Recognizing both the City’s affordability challenges and the Solana Beach School District as a key stakeholder, Sendero utilizes California’s State Density Bonus Law and AB 2295 to deliver additional affordable housing while prioritizing homes for teachers. A variety of residential floor plans, ranging from garden-like one and two-bedrooms to three-bedroom townhomes, accommodate residents at every stage of life.

Health-focused boutique retail and a fully renovated district office activate the ground floor, while a regulation-sized Little League baseball field is innovatively raised above the district warehouse and structured parking, blending seamlessly with the natural slope of the site.  

By incorporating community character, housing affordability, and long-term district needs, Sendero Solana Beach creates a walkable coastal village that strengthens connections between residents, the broader community, and their natural surroundings.

Heidi Galan (Co-Captain)

Luca Swedelson (Co-Captain)

Olivia Darensbourg

Jesse Goodwin

Tyler Lagarrigue

Grant Mayhew

Olivia Moreira

Leah Wong

The team wishes to thank the following individuals.

FACULTY ADVISORS

Paul Gherini, Lead Faculty Advisor​

Bailey Kim, UC San Diego​

Mirle Rabinowitz-Bussell, Ph.D, UC San Diego​

Feiyang Sun, Ph.D, UC San Diego​

​Nathan Moeder, UC San Diego​

Susan (Sue) Peerson, FAICP, UC San Diego

ARCHITECTS

John Martinez, Carrier Johnson + Culture​

Takara Tada, Carrier Johnson + Culture

INDUSTRY ADVISORS​

Dion Akers, City of Solana Beach​

Shea Bartolino, JPI​

Steven Bossi, Atlantis Group​

Jolene (Jojo) Bogard, Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society​

Marc Brutten, Brixton Capital​

Trevor Chapman, Cushman & Wakefield​

Charlie Cisakowski, EPD Solutions​

Angelica Davis, HomeFed Corporation​

John Delmer, City of Solana Beach​

Kathleen Drummond, Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society​

Kathleen Garcia, FASLA, UC San Diego​

Brian Grover, Nolen Communities​

Eli Griffen, Sheppard Mullin

Andrew Guillen, Ocean West Capital Partners​

JuliBeth (JB) Hinds, AICP, UC San Diego​

Colin Hofmann, JPI​

Thomas Jacobowski, Whiting-Turner

Norah Jaffan, EPD Solutions​

Jacob Kossman, JPI​

Shane Larimer, JPI​

Eric Li, Brixton Capital​

Joe Lim, City of Solana Beach​

Mark McGovern, CBRE​

Joey Mendoza, EPD Solutions​

Tim Minjares, HomeFed Corporation​

Ethan Murphy, JPI​

Kevin Nolen, CBRE​

Dannika Noonan, H.G. Fenton​

Dene Oliver, OliverBuchanan Group​

Ricardo Rabines, Safdie Rabines Architects​

Taal Safdie, Safdie Rabines Architects​

Andrew Shemarani, UPG​

Jason Shepard, JPI​

Siri Smith, JPI​

Michele Stribling, Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society​

Lori Wolf, Solana Beach Civic and Historical Society​