SAN DIEGO – Archstone Communities has broken ground on a 396-unit luxury apartment community in Mission Valley called Portofino that will be owned by H.G. Fenton Company upon completion and lease-up.

The project is being built on a 16.5-acre site owned by H.G. Fenton Company and located on a hillside on the north side of Friars Road between Northside Drive and Fenton Parkway.  The community, designed by Architects Orange, will feature Tuscan-style architecture to complement neighboring development, including Escala, a master-planned community being built by Shea Homes and Continental Homes on land previously owned by H.G. Fenton Company.

“This community will provide much-needed rental product in the Mission City area near Fenton Marketplace and Qualcomm Stadium,” said Mike Neal, president and CEO of H.G. Fenton Company.  “It has been designed as a cohesive neighborhood that will integrate with the Mission City community on both sides of Friars Road, and provide residents with convenient transportation and access to a variety of activities and services.”

According to Neal, this residential community represents a special piece of history to H.G. Fenton Company, which at one time owned all 200 acres of land that today is known as Mission City.  The company worked closely with the City of San Diego in the development of the Mission City Specific Plan, setting the stage for projects including Fenton Marketplace, Archstone Mission Valley, Escala and Jefferson at Mission Valley.  “This undertaking with Archstone Communities represents a key element of the vision we had for Mission City as a vital business, residential and retail community.”

The new apartment project will feature an Italian hillside theme, with extensive open space and a numerous lifestyle amenities including a trail system for walking, biking and jogging, a clubhouse, resort-style pool and spa, business and fitness center.  It also will offer gated entry access and a variety of plans to meet the needs of single residents to couples and young families.  Residences will range from loft-style floor plans with approximately 790 square feet, to one-, two- and three-bedroom plans ranging from 730 to as much as 1,375 square feet.

All residences will be well appointed and some will include garages. The clubhouse, pool and spa will be set atop a bluff, with the pool and spa extending outward over the canyon below and offering spectacular views of the trail and park area.

When this community is completed and leased, the H.G. Fenton Company multifamily portfolio will total 2,515 units in nine projects throughout San Diego County. H.G. Fenton Company has strategically acquired eight other communities based upon location, amenities and their ability to meet the company’s goal of providing convenient and well-maintained living environments for San Diego County residents.

The general contractor for the project is Wermers Construction. Landscape architecture is by Gillespie Design.

Founded in 1906, H.G. Fenton Company is a private San Diego real estate company.  In addition to its growing residential portfolio, the company owns and manages 2.6 million square feet of industrial space and several hundred acres of land.  H.G. Fenton Company will break ground this fall on Fenton Technology Park, a master-planned business community that will add 1 million square feet of industrial and office space in the Miramar/Sorrento Mesa area.  In addition, it is nearing completion on Mission Valley Heights, a 1-million-square-foot business park located near Friars Road and the 163 Freeway approximately one mile west of the new apartment community.