The long fight over restoring the Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park to its original state, which is pedestrian friendly, is finally going to happen.
The council approved the project Monday, as it did in 2012 when those opposed to the plan won a victory in court.
In 1915, the California Panama Exposition showcased Balboa Park and put San Diego on the map. Today, the park gets 12 million visitors a year.
Prior to Monday’s council vote, the mayor and other park advocates gathered in the plaza to encourage the council’s approval to move forward, knowing they had the votes.
» … with this final approval, the grand restoration of the heart of Balboa Park can begin,» Mayor Faulconer said.
This is a $79 million project to upgrade the park for the next 100 years. It will create more than 6 acres of vehicle free parkland, gardens and plazas, reflecting pools and increased parking.
The opposition was based on a bridge at the park’s entrance from Laurel Street that would curve behind Alcazar Gardens to an underground parking structure behind the organ pavilion would be a 2-acre park.
» this project will remove cars and traffic from the heart of balboa park allowing visitors to reclaim the public spaces by eliminating the current mix of cars and pedestrians, and create more than 6 acres of pedestrian plazas, park space and promenades,» Mayor Faulconer said.
The city’s contribution to the project is $49 million, financed through a combination of parking revenues, city funds and private dollars.
The remaining $30 million has already been pledged by Irwin Jacobs, who will also cover any cost overruns.
Jim Kindrick heads Balboa Park United, which represents the park’s 30 institutions.
«In 1915 San Diego’s population was 60 thousand. It’s not anymore, we must plan for today and for the future. Surely the legacy we create today together, is the legacy of that future. Let’s make history,» he said.
Former Mayor Jerry Sanders has been a supporters from the beginning.
«Approving the plan today is the right step forward that will continue the legacy of progress toward maintaining balboa parks impressive legacy,» he said.
Like every other major project in San Diego, it takes years to get them off the ground.
This was no exception.
«A small group of people filed a lawsuit, and this is San Diego. It’s expected, and they did win at trial but the court of appeal reversed on May 28th 2015,» said City Attorney Jan Goldsmith.
So the upgrades at Balboa Park finally get the green light, but there’s still a lot to do before construction begins sometime late next year.
