Horton Plaza Park

Horton Plaza Park

The park in 2016
Type Urban park
Location San Diego, California, U.S.
Coordinates 32°42′52.81″N 117°9′39.87″W / 32.7146694°N 117.1610750°W / 32.7146694; -117.1610750 (Horton Plaza Park)Coordinates: 32°42′52.81″N 117°9′39.87″W / 32.7146694°N 117.1610750°W / 32.7146694; -117.1610750 (Horton Plaza Park)
Area 1.2 acres (0.0049 km2)
Created 1910
Owned by City of San Diego
Operated by Westfield

Horton Plaza Park is an outdoor venue located in the heart of downtown San Diego, which had its grand opening on May 4, 2016. Located on the corner of 4th Avenue and Broadway, the plaza preserves the history and integrity of the original Horton Plaza, while adding key features to enhance the area. In addition to restoring the Broadway Fountain, the park includes an amphitheater for live music acts, retail Pavilions and a new, interactive fountain.[1] The city-owned park was designed by architect Walker Macy and built by Civic San Diego.[2]

History

1890 – 1910s

The area of the Park was sold to the city of San Diego in 1890 by its namesake, Alonzo Horton. Originally, the plaza was intended for use by his guests staying at the Horton House Hotel. Louis J. Wilde, banker and part-owner of the U. S. Grant Hotel, donated funds to help build a fountain located in the center of the Park. Irving J. Gill designed the Broadway Fountain, which was completed in 1910.[3]

1960 – 1970s

Throughout the years, the Horton Plaza Park was the backdrop for many notable events. On November 2, 1960, then-Senator John F. Kennedy spoke at Horton Plaza to make a last-minute appeal for votes just days before the 1960 Presidential Election. On March 19, 1971, the City of San Diego designated the plaza as a historical landmark.

2010 - present

The park in 2016

In 2011, the San Diego City Council unanimously voted to approve a unique public-private partnership between Westfield and the City of San Diego. This plan involved Westfield demolishing the former Robinsons-May and Planet Hollywood building at Westfield Horton Plaza Shopping Center and transferring the land to the city.[4] The overall project aims to restore the historic Horton Plaza Park and fountain, re-establishing it as the regional treasure that it was in the early-to-mid 1900s.[5]

Amenities

Spanning over 53,000-square-feet, Horton Plaza Park is composed of three sections: South Plaza, Amphitheater, and Historic Park. Included in the plaza are granite finishes, an interactive pop-jet fountain and 8 Luminaries (23-foot-tall color-changing light sculptures).[6] There are three food and beverage Pavilions located at Horton Plaza Park including Starbucks and Sloan's Ice Cream. Each Pavilion has adjacent patio seating covered by a trellised overhang.[7]

The onsite ArtsTix Ticket Booth offers tickets to local theaters and other attractions and is operated by the San Diego Performing Arts League. The Park offers recreational, cultural, educational and promotional events for the community, including Park Unplugged, a free ongoing entertainment series, and Plaza Play, an ongoing game series.[8] Horton Plaza Park is available to rent for public or private functions.[9]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Showley, Roger (2016). "Horton Plaza: Historic park reopens in $17M expansion". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing.
  2. ↑ http://www.walkermacy.com/projects/horton-plaza/
  3. ↑ Showley, Roger (2016). "Horton Plaza: Historic park reopens in $17M expansion". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing.
  4. ↑ Showley, Roger (2011). "Horton Plaza park expansion design selected". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing.
  5. ↑ "Horton Plaza Park". Horton Plaza Park. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  6. ↑ "Horton Plaza Park". Horton Plaza Park. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
  7. ↑ Woo, Candice (2016). "Horton Plaza Park Grand Opens Downtown With Sloan's Ice Cream". San Diego Eater. Vox Media.
  8. ↑ Showley, Roger (2016). "Horton Plaza Park opening May 4". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Tribune Publishing.
  9. ↑ Horton Plaza Park. Horton Plaza Park http://www.hortonplazapark.com/faqs/. Retrieved 6 June 2016. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Horton Plaza Park.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/10/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.