East Village and the Gaslamp Quarter thrum with life. San Diego’s Civic Center – not so much.
A broad coalition of partners, paced by the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Prebys Foundation, hopes to change that over the next several years.
On Tuesday at the inaugural WAVES Festival, billed as an “ideas and experiences festival,” they unveiled what they called “a bold new vision for the Civic Center,” developed in collaboration with the urban planning firm U3 Advisors and more than 20 local organizations.
The plan, proponents say, reimagines what they call the heart of Downtown San Diego, fanning out from Civic Center Plaza, a drab collection of buildings that includes San Diego City Hall and the San Diego Civic Theatre.
Supporters see a transformation into “a vibrant, welcoming, cultural crossroads” that would feature not only housing and civic elements, but also spaces for arts and education.
Betsy Brennan, president and CEO of the downtown partnership, said the current interest in what is possible for the area represents “momentum to turn the page” on the aging center with the goal of creating “an economic and cultural catalyst for the entire region.”
The presentation of the Civic Center “vision” at the WAVES Festival in La Jolla. (Photo by Edgar Ontiveros Medina/ Prebys Foundation)Over the past year, the coalition gathered extensive community input, including feedback from San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, the City Council and Gloria’s Civic Center Revitalization Committee, to develop a vision for the blocks north of C Street, roughly bounded by First and Third avenues.
It focuses on four core priorities:
Culture and education: Introducing new spaces, performing arts venues and community hubs anchored by institutions like the San Diego Community College District. More housing: Creating a range of housing options – more than 3,000 units – for teachers, students and artists. Iconic public spaces: Designing a 3-acre Civic Plaza programmed year-round for concerts, night markets and community events. A true downtown neighborhood: Attracting childcare centers, grocery stores, dog runs, and retail and restaurants.One main objective of the plan is “to breathe life into the Civic Center at all hours,” supporters said in a news release from the first day of the WAVES festival, at the UCSD Scripps Seaside Forum. WAVES stands for “well-being, art, vision, entrepreneurship and science.”
“This vision will reestablish Downtown as the vital heart of San Diego,” said Grant Oliphant, CEO of Prebys Foundation. “By reconnecting people to civic life through arts, culture, education and housing, we are creating a place where everyone feels they belong. A stronger Downtown will mean a stronger, more resilient San Diego for generations to come.”
The group hopes to refresh the Civic Center later this year, with redevelopment set to take place in phases for several years. According to a downtown partnership web page on the plan, the early “meanwhile phase” could include food venues, outdoor seating and art installations.
Funding sources have not been identified, though on the web page, organizers say they hope to attract a mix of “private development, public-private partnerships, philanthropic contributions and support from local, state, and federal sources.”
The Prebys Foundation has taken steps to revitalize the downtown landscape. Investments include support for the Depot Arts District via UC San Diego and the recent acquisition of the 401 B St. building. The foundation also partnered with the downtown partnership on funding the planning stages of the Civic Center project.
The coalition of government, nonprofit, business, labor and educational leaders and organizations behind the plan so far includes the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., San Diego Symphony, San Diego Tourism Authority and UC San Diego.
Another partner, the San Diego Community College District, stepped forward to establish new learning spaces and cultural programming.
“Our students represent the future of San Diego and we are excited to explore the prospect of anchoring part of that future at the Civic Center,” said Chancellor Gregory Smith.
The update on the Civic Center vision offered at the WAVES Festival is intended to spark more conversation around its details and next steps. They include specifics on the phased implementation and the possibility of turning to a “special purpose entity” to help guide the work.
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