AEG – the organisation behind Los Angeles’ Staples Center – is planning a US$1.4bn (£1bn, €1.3bn) development in San Diego which includes an 18,000-capacity sports and entertainment arena.

The Embarcadero District is one of six proposals being considered by the San Diego Unified Port District to replace the city’s Seaport Village.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the proposed development would include three hotels with a combined 1,700 rooms, 325,000sq ft (30,193sq m) of retail and restaurant space, a 10,000 sq ft (929sq m) Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a 2,000sq ft (185sq m) area for educational and outreach activities by the San Diego Symphony.

Local development and architecture firm OliverMcMillan is on board with the project, which is likely to be privately financed if given the green light.

AEG Facilities president Bob Newman said his firm considered San Diego “one of the most unique opportunities available in the world today”.

“This presents the opportunity to think about what the next generation for an arena in San Diego might be,” he added.

The organisation established the 19,000-seat Staples Center in 1999, as the largest indoor sports venue in Los Angeles.

It is currently developing a similar scheme in Brisbane, Australia.

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