Ken Calegari

When the future residents of Samuel Fox and Colonel Fletcher Lofts want to go out to eat or lease office space Downtown, they won’t need to lace up their walking shoes, thanks to Champion Development Group’s Ken Calegari. His promotion of a mixed-use strategy for the historic renovations is creating a live and work opportunity. The buildings will house 42 luxury lofts, two fine-dining restaurants and offices, and turning the Sixth Avenue intersection into one of Broadway’s liveliest Downtown. “We have only begun to see the impact of mixed use,” he says. “As public policy wakes up and recognizes that mixed-use is a successful tool to combat traffic congestion, reduce sprawl and make cities into 24/7 work, live and play environments, we will see 10 times the amount of this product that has been built so far.”

As Champion’s senior vice president, Calegari oversees the company’s construction and development projects in San Diego, including the first phase of Gaslamp City Square, which offers 223 residences, 65,000 square feet of retail space and a 580-stall parking garage.

But Calegari’s theory isn’t just “build it and they will come.” His guidance toward award-winning design gives Champion an edge. “Good design creates a sense of place for its users and a unique, but complementary identity within the fabric of the community,” he says.