Live Nation To Restore San Diego Historic Building Into A 4,000-Cap Music Venue

Live Nation unveiled plans to transform the historic Wonder Bread building near Petco Park in San Diego into a new 4,000-capacity music venue. Live Nation states that restoring the landmark property bridges the gap between clubs and arenas by providing a stage for mid-size acts to perform downtown.

“This project represents an investment in San Diego’s future as a destination for live music and entertainment,” stated John Schalk, Vice President, San Diego Market at Live Nation in the announcement. “We’ve been missing a venue of this size, and this project will help attract a broader range of touring artists, bring more shows to the region and contribute to the continued growth and energy of downtown.”

The historic Wonder Bread building – long owned by Bob Sinclair and his family – will be preserved and adaptively reused rather than demolished, with modern production capability built into the existing structure.

“We have always believed in the importance of honoring the history of this building,” added Sinclair’s stepdaughter and stepson Megan Heine and Torrey Lee. “We agreed to support this vision because it respects what makes this place special while giving it a new purpose that will serve the community for generations to come.”

“We appreciate the project’s thoughtful approach to the adaptive reuse of the historic Wonder Bread building,” continued Bruce Coons, Executive Director of Save Our Heritage Organization. “Restoring the building’s character-defining historic façade, retaining and renovating the historic silo, and recovering the building’s earliest brick façade from its concrete entombment is a major step in the right direction. At the same time incorporating a new entertainment facility demonstrates how historic resources can be preserved while continuing to serve San Diego’s future.”

Blueprint Studio, Live Nation’s in-house design group, and Gensler are designing the venue around artist and fan experience with topline acoustics, sightlines and backstage amenities. Expected to open in 2028, the venue will also host private, corporate and community events.

An analysis by Oxford Economics estimates the venue will generate approximately $97 million in annual economic impact and welcome 316,000 fans each year, including 126,000 traveling from outside the San Diego Metro area. The venue is also expected to support 660 jobs and contribute $12.6 million in state and local tax revenue.