|
For Sale: Tijuana's Bullring by the Sea
March/April 2018
By Maria E Curry
 Tijuana's Bullring by the Sea, or La Monumental, stands near the steel border fence, which bisects this photo and plunges into the Pacific. Courtesy José Saldaña Rico |
 A lighthouse is the bullring's nearest neighbor. The patterned plaza was designed as a public gathering place by artist Thomas Glassford and landscape architect José Parral for inSITE 05, a binational exhibition of installation art. Courtesy inSITE Archive, Special Collections UC San Diego Library |
 Aerial view of the bullring, circa 1980s. Courtesy José Saldaña Rico |
 A vintage postcard shows the popularity of the Monumental and one of its massive sculptures. |
Amid Tijuana's fever to develop any available land for housing, old buildings that are either abandoned or deemed of little use are threatened with demolition. Case in point: the Playas de Tijuana Bullring, known as La Monumental in Spanish and Bullring by the Sea in English. This prominent landmark is reportedly for sale for nearly $41 million (U.S.) on a site of 80,000 square meters, or 19.76 acres. While real estate agents say the property is vastly overpriced, investors are attracted to it for luxury housing or other multistory projects overlooking the Pacific and a unique cross-border panorama.
La Monumental is located a few steps from the beach, next to the border fence that divides Tijuana and San Diego. Nearby are an old lighthouse and a border monument erected in 1894. These elements form a unique cultural and natural area that merits protection for its association with the border region's social, natural, and cultural history. The bullring has been used for bullfighting, boxing matches, concerts, and cultural and sporting events since opening on June 26, 1960. With a capacity for 21,621 people, it is considered the third largest bullring in the world.
Built by the construction company of Raymundo Muzquiz, the round structure consists of concrete, steel, and brick; it appears to be structurally sound and maintains its historic integrity. Some of the sculptures that once decorated the parking lot were removed years ago. This is the city's last bullring since the Plaza de Toros de Tijuana (1957) was demolished 11 years ago despite public outcry.
Famous Mexican and foreign bullfighters performed here. Spectators in the stands enjoy the event in the bullring plus views of the ocean, the Tijuana River Estuary, Friendship Park in the U.S., and the border garden in Mexico. For those arriving by car to Playas de Tijuana, the view includes the bullring's curved exterior, the ocean, and the border fence plunging into the water. At sunset, this spectacular site offers one of the most beautiful views in the city.
Playas de Tijuana Bullring deserves to be designated as a Baja California cultural monument and a national artistic monument. We preservationists need to act soon to protect it before it is sold and demolished.
In the January/February issue of Our Heritage News, I outlined preservation education efforts my colleagues and I are undertaking in Tijuana and Baja California. See that article.
Our programs and projects have been well received on both sides of the border. Here are updates on our efforts.
Talk to realtors about advocating for historic preservation
Hector Bustamante, a leading realtor in downtown Tijuana, expressed interest in learning about the benefits of historic preservation. I was invited to give a presentation to Bustamante Realty's 48 employees in March to help them develop convincing preservation arguments to be used with developers. SOHO's success in negotiating with the San Diego Padres and the city of San Diego to preserve warehouse district buildings in the Ballpark District is one of the examples I expect to share in this talk, with help of SOHO board members.
Chiki Jai Restaurant salvage documentation for a historic replica
Genaro Valladolid, Bustamante Realty's marketing director, said the owners are documenting the Chiki Jai Restaurant's ornamental tiles (1947) after a fire damaged the building on Revolución. Developers have promised to replicate the Chiki Jai, as it was before the fire and on the same corner as it has been for more than seven decades.
Course in "Preservation in Border Cities" in Universidad de Durango starting in May
As part of the preservation education activities aimed at mitigating the destruction of Tijuana's historic buildings, ICOMOS Mexicano, Universidad de Durango, and preservation experts from San Diego and Mexico have joined forces. The result: a course called "Diplomado de Preservación del Patrimonio Cultural en Ciudades Fronterizas," that leads to a certificate, in May and June 2018. I gave a talk about the course details in February at the university.
San Diego Architectural Foundation Tijuana event and tour
The San Diego Architecture Foundation is planning an educational event called "The Tijuana Renaissance/El Renacimiento de Tijuana" on June 1 at the Casa de la Cultura in Tijuana's Colonia Altamira. The day begins with a VIP bus tour leaving San Diego in the afternoon followed by a free public event at the Casa de la Cultura, and a paid program in the evening. For details, visit the foundation's website at in April.
|
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
|
