Keystone is designed to provide educators with an active, enjoyable lifestyle - whether they live there or work nearby. The project includes 4,000 square feet of neighborhood-serving micro-retail designed for uses teachers actually need and use between classes, after school, or during events. That scale supports a café, grab-and-go food, or small local businesses where a teacher can pick up lunch, meet a colleague, or wait comfortably while students rehearse or perform—without getting in a car. These businesses will be located at ground-floor level, making the surrounding streets feel active and safe.

Keystone prioritizes local, independent small businesses instead of big chain stores. Here are some of the retail opportunities Keystone is designed to house:

• A neighborhood bakery, a corner deli, a coffee shop, and a juice bar where teachers from Birney Elementary and local neighbors can meet for lunch or a quick snack.

• A full-service restaurant, a burger joint, and even a brewery for residents to enjoy after work.

• A bodega market for groceries and a florist for quick gifts or home decor.

• A dedicated Childcare Center on the ground floor.

• A pet supply store and a pet wash station.

• A barbershop, a wash-and-fold laundromat, and personal service shops like a manicure salon.

• A maker space and pottery studio, where people can learn to build and create things.

• A board game cafe and an ice cream shop located near the Play Street so parents can relax while their kids play nearby.

• Besides the fitness loop, the retail area includes a gym and a juice bar to help neighbors maintain a healthy lifestyle.

From its start training teachers more than 100 years ago, University Heights has a long, proud history of supporting students. Through Keystone, parents and neighbors are paying it forward by giving kids opportunities most neighborhoods can only dream of. A pool where every child can learn to swim. Parks where they can play, explore, and grow. An amphitheater to spark creativity and bring the community together. Childcare that supports working families. These aren’t just amenities—they’re a reflection of a community that believes in giving back to its youngest members. Keystone isn’t just building housing—it’s building a future where every child has the chance to thrive.

The Keystone Education District is designed to be more than just a place to live; it is built to be a cultural hub for the whole neighborhood. By including spaces for art and music, the project creates a "living room" where teachers, students, and neighbors can come together. Students will grow up surrounded by performance and event spaces and integrated public art.

• The Ostrich Green Amphitheater is at the heart of the Keystone Education District. The stage is specifically intended to host San Diego Unified school performances, allowing students to showcase their talents to the community. Additional public space through Keystone has been set aside for concerts, farmers' markets, and neighborhood festivals.

• Keystone plazas and paths are designed to include interactive placemaking elements, which will include students’ artistic creations or play features that engage the senses. One of the main design goals is to have integrated art located in areas where it can be enjoyed by everyone walking through the campus.

• By integrating Birney Elementary into the site plan, the development functions as a cohesive educational village rather than a typical apartment block. Birney students and others will be able to visit the meditation garden and "habitat hill," which are designed as visible green infrastructure that serves as a functional ecosystem for biodiversity education.

• Keystone’s student-centered design prioritizes safety by moving all 1,514 car spaces completely below grade.

• This approach creates surface streets and plazas designed for walking, biking, and play, ensuring safer access and drop-off around Birney Elementary.

• The complete removal of curbside parking competition directly addresses daily safety issues for families during drop-off and pick-up.

• In contrast, competing plans rely on above-ground parking structures, which keeps more vehicular movement at the surface and next to student routes.

• Keystone delivers a single, integrated campus in one well-managed effort that prioritizes the operational integrity of Birney and minimizes the impact on all neighbors.

• Other proposals rely on competitive LIHTC funding and must compete for those funds across multiple grant cycles. This injects uncertainty into the process and adds years to the delivery timetable.

• By securing all necessary capital upfront, Keystone spares the Birney Elementary community from the noise, dust, and safety hazards of repeated mobilizations.

Keystone delivers economic equity by guaranteeing union jobs and apprenticeships for San Diego Unified students from underserved communities, during construction. The historic Annex 1 will be renovated by a non-profit foundation and converted into a dedicated Workforce and Learning Hub, focusing on high-demand Blue Tech careers. This focus on the future aligns Keystone with the District's mission and student success.

Keystone's 1,500 homes are within a short walk of Birney and within biking distance of Roosevelt Middle School and San Diego High, reducing car dependence and long commutes. An enhanced infrastructure financing district (EIFD) included in the plan could fund off-site infrastructure improvements, including improvements to the dangerous intersection at El Cajon and Park Boulevards and Normal Street—currently being studied by the City of San Diego. These upgrades would enhance pedestrian connectivity to the Bus Rapid Transit line and create a seamless link to the new Normal Street Promenade.