The imposing tower that stood out starkly against Hillcrest’s skyline for decades is gone, removed because the antiquated technology no longer served a purpose.
Benjamin Nichols has negotiated with AT&T over the property for 17 years as the executive director of the Hillcrest Business Association. He is one of few to have toured the aging building on Robinson Avenue.
“They’ve spent a lot of time and money taking that old infrastructure off the building. It’s good for the neighborhood to remove old junk,” he said.
Satellite view of the AT&T Hillcrest location. This was captured before the microwave tower was removed in 2025. The employee patio, or “sunken garden,” lies below. (Image courtesy of Google Earth)“Old junk” describes much of what is contained within the walls of the building owned by the communications giant. In its over century-long history, the location has served many purposes — most of which are obsolete. It used to be an emergency communication center, which explains why it contains a basement bomb shelter.
Yet the site remains a key cog for everyday communications. Its importance makes updating the infrastructure difficult, blocking redevelopment hopes.
Local residents have long had their eye on the large property in the heart of Hillcrest, seeing it as a prime location for new housing and a shared community space.
Michael Donovan of Vibrant Uptown recently moved into the Denizen apartment complex across from the property. He is reminded of the building’s condition every time he looks out the window.
“Vibrant is always interested in projects that can improve our neighborhoods. This is a tough one, though,” said Donovan. “Some suggestions are possible, but others are more difficult than they appear.”
Past development
The Hillcrest community has repeatedly asked AT&T to take down the microwave tower over the decades, according to Nichols. This removal, which took three months, has been a long time coming, sparking questions about the company’s future community collaborations.
“We work closely with the communities we serve, and this project reflects years of dialogue with Hillcrest residents about the building’s role in the neighborhood. The rooftop equipment had reached the end of its useful life,” said an AT&T spokesperson.
Where the microwave tower used to be, as seen above the mural on the University Avenue sidewalk. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)Stakeholders are now looking at next steps. One possibility is to continue the building boom in the immediate area, which corresponds with the community plan.
“Two dozen public meetings and over 1,600 written comments helped shape a neighborhood vision that values truly affordable housing, supports local small businesses, and celebrates our LGBTQ+ community,” Councilmember Stephen Whitburn said in 2024 after the Hillcrest Focused Plan Amendment was adopted.
Whitburn’s office credited AT&T for working with local residents.
”We appreciate AT&T’s responsiveness and their continued collaboration with the community going forward,” said Max Walther, director of communications for Whitburn’s office.
“Untitled” by Jason and Frieda Gould of Visual Shop San Diego, painted in 2022 for AT&T and HBA. The piece is described as “celebrating diversity.” It is located on the corner of University Avenue and 6th Avenue in Hillcrest. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)This is not the first time the company has cooperated with Hillcrest, Nichols said, pointing to a mural at Sixth and University avenues that covered a wall marred by graffiti. But now he has a bigger project in mind.
“Relative to AT&T, the building and anything built on it is chump change. The community would love if AT&T redeveloped the land into housing. Maybe their footprint becomes smaller,” said Nichols.
About the building
The structure is over 120,000 square feet — roughly equivalent to two football fields. It is full of “retired in place” equipment, meaning it is more expensive to remove it than it is to leave it. Inside are old switchboards, which phone operators once used to manually connect callers.
Modern telecom technology uses underground fiber optic cables, replacing older, larger microwave antennas. In 2004, another microwave tower went out of service just one block from the AT&T building, according to the FCC’s registry.
Yet, despite its age, it remains a critical part of the company’s network. As a central hub for long and short-range communication, it connects local callers to the global public phone network. Any changes could lead to disruptions.
The property also includes a patio, which Nichols refers to as the “sunken garden.” Originally a place where 200 employees enjoyed lunch, now only a dozen people use it. The community has asked for it to be opened to the public.
The “sunken garden” at AT&T’s Hillcrest property is blocked from street view behind metal bars and mural-covered walls. It’s so well hidden that most locals don’t even know it’s there. (Photo by Thomas Murphy/Times of San Diego)“Right now it’s this weird space that a gardener looks after, but nobody uses. My impression is they see it as a liability,” said Nichols. “It needs some work, but the sunken garden would be a great community asset.”
“I’ve said to them, ‘Hey, we’ll take the liability. We’ll maintain it. We’ll program it.’ It’s just not what AT&T does — they don’t do housing either,” he said.
In keeping with the community plan, neighbors all around the building have been working with AT&T and the city of San Diego to create a new vision for that part of the neighborhood.
Better Buzz and other neighboring businesses have contracted Mike Hansen – the former head of the city’s Planning Department and founder of City Forward, an urban development company – to help shape the property’s future, according to Donovan of Vibrant Uptown.
Nichols said he has viewed “some really amazing renderings of what could happen,” but they have yet to be shared publicly. He compares his hopes for the AT&T location to other community-focused efforts in San Diego, including in downtown and Hillcrest on the promenade on Normal Street.
The former Seattle resident also reflected on local changes he witnessed firsthand — and the example they might provide for Hillcrest – and AT&T – to follow.
“The original headquarters of UPS was in the neighborhood where I worked. It burned down in the 1970s and UPS made it into a community park,” Nichols said. “It’s private land owned by UPS, it’s staffed and has gates that close at night, but it’s a public oasis in the middle of downtown Seattle.
“That could be something that AT&T does,” he continued. “It’s an opportunity for a huge company to work with the community and create an amazing urban space.”
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