|
Balboa Park Historic Core and Cabrillo Bridge
November/December 2024
 |
In 2010, one of San Diego’s leading philanthropists proposed a plan to transform the Plaza de Panama in front of the San Diego Museum of Art into a pedestrian-only zone, reminiscent of its original state during the 1915-16 Panama California Exposition. The plan also included building a "Centennial Bridge" bypass off the 1915 Cabrillo Bridge and constructing an 800-space parking garage south of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. While the project had a desirable goal of ridding the plaza of cars and parking, it quickly became controversial due to its potential to permanently damage the iconic bridge and the park's historic character.
SOHO tried everything to work with the project's proponent but was met at every turn with no interest in compromising the destructive scheme. We were compelled to sue the City of San Diego and the committee behind the project, arguing that the bypass bridge would irreversibly harm the west entrance to Balboa Park, and we were able to present feasible alternatives that were more cost effective. SOHO proposed several solutions that would have less impact on the park while still achieving the project's goals of removing traffic from the plaza.
Key preservation authorities, including the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the State Historic Preservation Office, and the City’s Historical Resources Board, all warned that the bypass bridge would negatively affect the California Quadrangle and the 190-foot California Tower. As a result, opposition to the plan quickly gained momentum, with numerous organizations joining SOHO's fight.
We placed Balboa Park on SOHO’s Most Endangered List in 2011, where it remained until the controversial project was thwarted over 8 years later when, in 2019, the City of San Diego officially shelved the Plaza de Panama Project, marking a significant victory for preservationists.
The win continues to reap rewards for San Diegans today as it enables the park to reach its highest and best uses. El Prado, lined with museums and gardens, flows intact from west to east, as Goodhue intended, as does the iconic and scenic Cabrillo Bridge. The Spreckels Organ Pavilion continues to offer concerts without the noise and pollution of a parking garage. Multiple sites within the 1935 Expo section, the Palisades, are being restored. But had the ill-conceived Plaza de Panama project gone forward, it would have cut off the Palisades from the historic core with a deep ditch and roadway, causing irreversible damage and precluding restoration of its 1935 footprint.
Back to San Diego Places Once on SOHO's Endangered List Now Flourish
|
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
|
