County of San Diego and Latitude 33 Celebrate Successful Completion of Legacy Real Estate Development 

San Diego, CA, November 6, 2025 – After 17 years of innovative and award-winning development, Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering and the County of San Diego have completed the County Operations Center—one of the most ambitious developments the County has ever undertaken.  Located at 5520 Overland Ave in Kearny Mesa, between SR-163 and I-15, and south of SR-52, the 47-acre campus delivers numerous critical services in one centralized location. Beginning with the land planning contract, Latitude 33 continued with the master developer, Lowe (formerly Lowe Enterprises), for the remainder of the ambitious design-build development.  The County Operations Center continues to inform and advance development and planning, and has grown Latitude 33 from less than a couple dozen employees to several dozen team members working in multiple states. The County Operations Center was a catalyst for growth for both Latitude 33 and the San Diego region.  

Assembling the Design-Build Team

In 2008, the County’s operational needs began to exceed the capacity of its aging infrastructure.  The San Diego County Board of Supervisors authorized a plan to rebuild and consolidate numerous County operations to one centralized campus.  The County Operations Center was developed as a public-private partnership with Lowe and the County of San Diego, along with Project Management Advisors (PMA) and RJC Architects (now merged with Steinberg Hart).  As part of this early planning team, Latitude 33 recruited Matt Semic, PE in 2009 to spearhead the planning, design, and permitting of the County Operations Center.  Approximately a decade later, Matt Semic became Latitude 33’s President, and the firm had tripled in size.

A Forward-Looking Development

The County Operations Center set a tone for collaboration, sustainability, and wellness for future development in San Diego.  The campus leveraged an informal design-build delivery method, which was gaining traction in the early 2000s.  It was also an early adopter of LEED building standards, as the LEED certification program was less than 10 years old.  With a cohesive design, pedestrian walkways, and a robust art program offering beauty and inspiration, the progressive campus promoted the health and wellness of staff.  

Matt Semic, PE, President of Latitude 33, states, “Not only did this campus propel our firm’s growth, it initiated numerous cutting-edge development practices that are widely used today.  Design-build, sustainable building, and a focus on employee wellness—these were all new when this campus was conceived.  The County Operations Center brought these concepts to the forefront of San Diego’s development scene, and has boosted San Diego’s growth and evolution.”

County Operations Center Today

Recently completed, the award-winning campus contains more than 15 structures, including: 

• Four office buildings (all LEED Gold)
• Three parking structures
• Central plant
• Fleet Services
• Sheriff’s Technology & Information Center (LEED Gold)
• Campus Center including the Commons dining area (LEED Platinum)
• Medical Examiner & Forensic Center (LEED Silver) (not part of the original master plan, hence not a Latitude 33 project)
  • 2010 Construction Management Association of America: “Building New Construction Under $25 Million – Honorable Mention”
  • 2010 American Institute of Architects: “Citation Award”
• Registrar of Voters (LEED Gold)
  • 2014 American Public Works Association: “Honor Award” 
• Sheriff’s Crime Lab (LEED Gold)
  • 2019 American Institute of Architects: Academy of Architecture for Justice (AAJ)
  • 2019 Engineering News-Record California Best Projects: “Award of Merit – Green Project”
• Public Health Lab (Anticipated LEED Platinum)
  • 2025 Gold Nugget Award of Merit: “Best Commercial Project”
  • 2025 Engineering News-Record West Regional Best Projects: Award of Merit – Government/Public Building

The overall campus has received numerous accolades, including:

• AIA California Council: “Merit Award for Sustainable Design”
• San Diego Architectural Foundation: “People’s Choice Orchid Award”
• California Center for Sustainable Energy: “Energy All-Star Award: Outstanding Governmental Building of the Year” 
• San Diego Gas & Electric: “Energy Champion for New Construction”

The development also necessitated $30-$50 million in infrastructure improvements within a five-mile radius, including widened streets, transmission lines, and interchange improvements at the SR-52 and I-15 freeways.  This has improved access to the nearby Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Toby Wells YMCA, and Northrop Grumman. 

Lasting Partnerships

This highly collaborative development rendered results that endure beyond brick and mortar.  The partnerships were truly unique and lasting.  Kyle Boyce, Principal at Latitude 33, explains, “Over nearly two decades of development, Latitude 33 was engaged as change and relationship managers.  The teams were in remarkable lock-step with one another. As a legacy project, that is highly unusual, and highly rewarding.”

About Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in San Diego, Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to design.  The firm provides public sector planning, land use planning, public outreach, entitlement services, civil engineering design, and surveying/mapping to public agencies, developers, and property owners. The firm’s breadth of expertise includes aviation, life sciences, residential, education, healthcare, military, commercial/retail, civic, hospitality, and design-build projects.  Thirty-five percent of the engineers at Latitude 33 are women.  For more information, visit latitude33.com.