The San Diego Downtown Partnership hosted a panel on the future of the downtown waterfront Wednesday, inviting both developers and policymakers to discuss future redevelopment to the region.

San Diego Port Commissioner Steven Cushman announced that $20 million funding had been secured for the first phase of the waterfront redevelopment. The area, to extend on Harbor between Broadway and B Streets, would be jointly funded by the port, the Centre City Development Corp. (CCDC), and the city. Cushman expects to break ground at the end of the year, at the earliest.

"It's been over 10 years, a decade, that we've been working on North Embarcadero," he said. "It's time to get going."

The port commissioner also criticized the "waterfront vision" endorsed by state Sen. Steve Peace and County Supervisor Ron Roberts, saying it was unwise to stop development on the waterfront and move the cruise-ship terminal from its current terminal to the 10th Avenue terminal, jeopardizing the maritime industry.

"I'm not saying the Peace-Roberts waterfront front vision doesn't have some good ideas -- it does," he said. "They should come to our (Joint Powers Agreement), work with us. We'll work on the park, we'll work on the parking area, but we're going to stay focused ... on the plan that we are on today."

Perry Dealey, president of Manchester Development, the firm responsible for redeveloping the Navy Broadway Complex, delineated updates on the company's design for the 14-acre development.

To maximize its ground space, the ground level of ever building will be dedicated to entertainment, retail, or cultural space, said Dealey.

"You're able to come into this master plan with about 200,000 square feet of retail and spend the day," he said.

The project included a five-star, twin-tower hotel and an office building for the Navy operations. He expects the entire project to generate $500 million in revenue during the next 20 years.

CCDC President and CEO Nancy Graham spoke of "creating a postcard" of San Diego and making the waterfront a landmark for the city.

"Picture yourself on a boat, looking out in that direction (toward the Embarcadero)," she said, describing how CCDC is working to spur redevelopment in the area. "What is that postcard going to look like?"

Lankford and Associates President and CEO Robert Lankford discussed future developments on the Lane Field site.

Like Manchester, Lankford will develop two hotels, the Aviana and the Intercontinental, as well as a large amount of retail space and a 6-acre park. Two levels of below-grade parking will accommodate visitors.

"It's done in a way that we've become the downtown destination," he said. "We're looking forward to that."