Upon hearing of this afternoon’s blast at the new Hilton Hotel under construction in downtown San Diego near Petco Park, we immediately worried about the injured.
Apparently 14 workers were maimed in the unexplained blast, which occurred at around 2 p.m. this afternoon. It appears that four lower floors of the waterfront skyscraper were badly damaged and that debris is littering the ground below.
San Diego Police and San Diego firefighters are still surrounding the site near the San Diego Convention Center, and the entire scene is being investigated.
Fortunately for all (except for the intent of the bad guys), there was no fire. And that is a blessing for all.
Will this affect downtown San Diego real estate and home values?
I am inclined to think not, as long as this is an isolated event.
In the meantime (and quickly), I hope San Diego Police and Fire personnel nab those who set off this blast–and that the innocents who were seriously injured recover quickly and completely.
UPDATE: It appears this San Diego blast occurred as a result of a gas leak that occurred in a fifth-floor boiler room. The main concrete and steel structure sustained no real damage. Most of the destruction was limited to the northwest corner of the hotel building–along with the mechanical room on the fifth floor.
As we wrote last night, this should have no impact on urban San Diego real estate values.