The plan to make over San Diego’s downtown water front is moving forward again. The process had been stalled for several months.
The first phase of the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan has been stalled since April. That’s when the Coastal Commission blocked the Port’s efforts to get started. The Commission said the Port needed to find a way to replace a large oval park at the foot of Broadway that the Port had removed from the plans. Since then the Port’s been negotiating with open space advocates who’ve sued over the issue.
Commissioner Lou Smith says the project finally has some momentum.
"I think we have to do the faster of the two paths," Smith said. "If for no other reason than the iron’s as hot as it’s going to get. And I’m worried we’ll, that we’ll just never accomplish anything if we don’t move right now."
The developers of the Lane Field project along Harbor Drive say there’s a possibility their development could be reconfigured to include some public open space. The Port will hold public meetings and continue to negotiate with those involved in the coming months.
