Grand Vision for the Heart of Balboa Park

Over the years, the heart of Balboa Park has been given over to the automobile, with the park's grand central space – the Plaza de Panama – paved in asphalt and made into a parking lot for a few dozen cars.

Now, civic leaders are launching an effort to reclaim the Plaza de Panama and adjacent areas for pedestrian use in time for the 2015 Centennial celebration of the Panama-California Exposition.

Mayor Jerry Sanders was joined by Dr. Irwin Jacobs, Councilmember Todd Gloria, County Board Chair Pam Slater-Price and dozens of park leaders to announce the initial schematic and the members of the nonprofit committee that will help raise funds for the effort.

"The plaza was designed as a grand ceremonial space – a gathering place for park visitors and a hub of the cultural activities in the heart of Balboa Park," Sanders said. "As you can see, previous generations traded in that vision, and all they got in return was a few dozen parking spaces and the steady drone of automobiles searching for an empty spot."

Under the schematic described by Dr. Jacobs, cars entering the park from the west would be diverted, once they’ve crossed the Laurel Street Bridge, to an elevated roadway behind the Alcazar Garden, leading to the Alcazar parking lot. There, visitors could drop off passengers, use valet parking or continue on to a two-story parking structure behind the Organ Pavilion.

The parking structure would have a roof with landscaped garden approximately level with the Organ Pavilion, so that sightlines from the pavilion would be enhanced, Jacobs said. The parking structure will more than make up for the spaces removed from the Plaza, with current plans netting an additional 250 spaces for park users.

"Separating cars from pedestrians will make the park safer and more enjoyable for both, and the needs of motorists will also be addressed," Jacobs said. "The parking structure will not only make it easier for visitors to access the park, but will reduce the time and gasoline that is wasted each time we search of a place to park."

With vehicular traffic diverted, the Plaza de Panama would be opened up for shade trees, benches, landscaping, fountains and other amenities, while the road from the Plaza to the Organ Pavilion would be replaced by a pedestrian esplanade.

Park leaders, who were presented the plan two weeks earlier, expressed great enthusiasm for Jacobs' vision. About 75 representatives from Park institutions and organizations were on hand for yesterday's media announcement.

Councilmember Gloria, whose district includes the park, said the schematic fulfills a long-held dream of park lovers.

"The vision to wrestle this space away from automobiles and give it back to the people has been long held by park advocates," said Gloria. "It has been a goal of every long-range plan envisioned for the park."

"Today's announcement gives us a glimpse into the vibrant future of Balboa Park. With a champion like Dr. Jacobs, I am confident that the long-held dream for the reclamation of the Plaza de Panama will be achieved."

Dr. Jacobs announced the members of the Plaza de Panama Committee, a newly formed nonprofit organization that will oversee the fundraising effort for the project, which is currently estimated at approximately $33 million.

The members of the committee all are active in the arts, Balboa Park and philanthropic communities:

• David Cohn of The Prado restaurant
• Donald Cohn of the Old Globe Theatre
• Pete Ellsworth of the Legler-Benbough Foundation
• Tom Gildred of the San Diego Museum of Art
• Al Kidd of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
• Jesse Knight of San Diego Gas & Electric
• Dene Oliver of OliverMcMillan
• Betty Peabody of the Friends of Balboa Park
• Darlene Shiley of the Shiley Foundation
• Iris Straus, the Mayor's liaison for arts and culture

The public may weigh in on the plan at the Sept. 23 meeting of the Balboa Park Committee, which will be held in the Balboa Park Club, Santa Fe Room, at 6 p.m.

Project proponents hope to begin project design in about one year, with construction completed by December 2014, in time for the start of the 2015 Centennial Celebration.

"As with any public park – and certainly one as important as Balboa Park – the judgment of the community is the true proof of an idea's merits," Sanders said. "I am pleased to see there already is enthusiastic support for Dr. Jacobs' vision, and I know that support will continue to multiply as people come to understand the many benefits of this project."