The Keystone Education District is a transformative redevelopment of San Diego’s Normal Street property, delivering 1,500 permanently affordable homes exclusively for San Diego Unified School District employees. As the largest educator housing project in California history, Keystone utilizes mass timber construction and all-electric design to create a climate-forward, transit-rich neighborhood. The project prioritizes the "missing middle," ensuring that teachers, paraeducators, and support staff pay no more than 30% of their income on rent without facing "cliff effects" as their salaries grow. By concentrating density along Normal Street and placing all 1,514 parking spaces below grade, the design maintains a people-first environment that respects the surrounding University Heights fabric.

Beyond housing, Keystone serves as a vibrant community hub that preserves the site’s historic educational legacy through the restoration of the Annex 1 and Annex 2 buildings. The new education district integrates three public parks, a community pool, and on-site childcare with micro-retail and Career Technical Education facilities. This holistic approach ensures educators live near the schools they serve, reducing commute times and strengthening the local economy. By pairing family-sized units with robust public amenities, Keystone transforms public land into a stable, education-centered neighborhood for the District’s workforce. This proposal represents the highest and best use of civic resources, fostering long-term equity and sustainability for San Diego’s educators and their families.