San Diego’s Port Commission opens public hearings today on its latest plans to beautify the Embarcadero on San Diego’s Bay front.
The Port is hoping to jump start plans for the downtown waterfront. The California Coastal Commission nixed a previous plan, when it was revealed that an oval park had disappeared from plans, in favor of a concrete plaza in front of the new Broadway cruise ship pier.
A new agreement, reached last week, would replace that public open space with a park on Lane Field, north of Broadway.
Cory Briggs represents a coalition that sued the port over the previous plan, but has now entered a memorandum of understanding. He said he hopes the Port Commissioners will ratify that agreement today.
"Before, what they were calling public space was a beautified intersection,” Briggs said, “but it’s not a place that you would go for a picnic, or for you and me to walk the dogs. Now, they are going to provide a 150 foot park on Lane Field.”
Irene McCormack of the Port said the developer of Lane Field has agreed to move the high rise hotel back 150 feet from Harbor Drive, to create more public space along the bay.
“They’re going to have to redesign their hotel,” McCormack said. “But the Port is committed to making sure that that park is built, no matter what.”
McCormack said plans for the new bay front park are not yet done, but the Port will vote on a new coastal development permit next month.
The agency hopes the Coastal Commission will sign off on the plan before redevelopment money for the beautification project is spent elsewhere.
