Live Nation to Turn San Diego's Wonder Bread Building Into Music Venue
Blueprint Studio and Gensler will design the space, with the project projected to add $97 million in economic impact.
Live Nation has unveiled plans to transform the historic Wonder Bread building near Petco Park into a new 4,000-capacity music venue, restoring a landmark property and closing a gap in San Diego's market that has long left mid-size touring artists without a downtown home.
San Diego currently has no purpose-built venue between its small clubs and its large arenas. The project is designed to close that specific gap, giving artists at that stage of their career a room built for them, and giving San Diego fans access to shows the city has largely missed out on.
Key Details
The historic Wonder Bread building – long owned by Bob Sinclair and his family – will be preserved and adaptively reused rather than demolished, with modern production capability built into the existing structure.
Blueprint Studio, Live Nation's in-house design group, and Gensler are designing the venue around artist and fan experience: acoustics, sightlines, and backstage amenities.
The venue fills San Diego's only capacity gap of this kind – there is currently no other venue like it in the market.
The venue is expected to open in 2028 and will also host private, corporate, and community events.
Key Quotes
John Schalk, Vice President, San Diego Market at Live Nation: 'This project represents an investment in San Diego's future as a destination for live music and entertainment. We've been missing a venue of this size, and this project will help attract a broader range of touring artists, bring more shows to the region, and contribute to the continued growth and energy of downtown.'
Megan Heine and Torrey Lee, whose family has owned the Wonder Bread building for many years: 'We have always believed in the importance of honoring the history of this building. We agreed to support this vision because it respects what makes this place special while giving it a new purpose that will serve the community for generations to come.'
Bruce Coons, Executive Director of Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO): 'We appreciate the project's thoughtful approach to the adaptive reuse of the historic Wonder Bread building. Restoring the building's character-defining historic façade, retaining and renovating the historic silo, and recovering the building's earliest brick façade from its concrete entombment is a major step in the right direction. At the same time incorporating a new entertainment facility demonstrates how historic resources can be preserved while continuing to serve San Diego's future.'
Economic Impact
An analysis by Oxford Economics estimates the venue will generate approximately $97 million in annual economic impact.
The venue is expected to welcome 316,000 fans each year, including 126,000 traveling from outside the San Diego Metro area.
The project is projected to drive $53 million in spending including nearby restaurants, hotels, and retail establishments.
The venue is expected to support 660 jobs.
The project is projected to contribute $12.6 million in state and local tax revenue.
