> Peggy: THE CITY RESCENTLY BOUGHT THE 1.3-ACRE AREA AND
EMPTY STORE FACING BROADWAY TO EXPANDED HORTON PARK.
A FACELIFT FOR A AMPHITHEATER, FOOD AND SEATING AREAS, A
PORTABLE MOVIE SCREEN, AND A FAMILY MARKET AREA FOR VENDORS.
THE IDEA OF TRANSFORMING DOWNTOWN INTO A PEOPLE FRIENDLY
PLACE BEGAN FOUR DECADES AGO WITH FORMER MAYOR PETE WILSON.
JOINING ME WITH A BIT OF HORTON PLAZA'S HISTORY IS ROBERT
SHOWILY OF UT SAN DIEGO.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> Peggy: HAVE YOU LIVED HERE ALL OF YOUR LIFE, I GREW UP HERE
AS WELL.
YOU HAVE SEEN MORE CHANGES.
TELL US WHAT DOWNTOWN WAS LIKE ABOUT THE 50s?
>> I WAS IN MY -- I WAS TEN YEARS OLD OR SO IN THE 50S.
I REMEMBER HORTON PLAZA.
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD STOP ON THE WAY TO PIANO LESSONS.
I WOULD STOP ON THE BUS, CHANGE BUSS AND GO TO HILLCREST WHERE
MY TEACHER WAS.
I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT.
IT WAS FUN, NICE TO BE, UNDERGROUND REST ROOMS,
INFORMATION STAND TO GO TO FOR A MAP OR INFORMATION YOU WOULD GO
THERE.
I WOULD GO TO A PIZZA PLACE AND GET A 15-CENT PIECE OF PIZZA OR
A BAG OF NUTS.
I HAD A GOOD TIME DOWNTOWN.
>> Peggy: YOU WERE A KID.
STORES BACK THEN MARSTON.
>> YES.
IT WAS THE CENTER OF SAN DIEGO.
WHERE EVERYBODY DID BUSINESS.
WE GOT DRESSED UP AND WENT TO MARSON'S FOR THE TEA ROOM,
BANANA CREAM PIE OR WHATEVER WE HAD IN THOSE DAYS.
>> Peggy: GOOD PLACE FOR KIDS.
THEN HORTON PLAZA BECAME A PARK IN 1970.
THEN 1971 WHEN PETE WILSON BECAME THE MAYOR, WHAT HAPPENS
THEN?
A HUNDRED YEARS LATER, WHAT WAS IT LIKE IN THE --
>> 1970s, MISSION VALLEY SHOPPING CENTER AND OTHER
SHOPPING CENTERS OPENED AND SUCKED THE RETAIL FROM DOWNTOWN.
MANY BUSINESSES MOVED HEADQUARTERS OUT.
PEOPLE LIVED IN THE SUBURBS.
DOWNTOWN WASN'T AS IMPORTANT AS IT WAS AS A RESULT.
FROM THE VACUUM CAME X RATED BOOK STORES AND SEEDY BARS,
SOUTH OF BROADWAY WAS NOT A PLACE TO BE.
>> Peggy: TATTOO PARLORS.
MY MOTHER WARNED ME ABOUT THOSE.
>> Peggy: PETE WILSON TALKED TO KPBS ABOUT DOWNTOWN AND THE
POTENTIAL HE SAW.
LET'S LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID.
>> FIRE A CANNON DOWN BROADWAY AT 5 MINUTES PAST 5:00 THE OLD
JOKE WAS YOU WOULDN'T HIT ANYONE THAT WASN'T STAGGERING.
IT WAS A UNDEVELOPED RESOURCE THAT HAD ENORMOUS POTENTIAL.
I WOULD TAKE PEOPLE WHO WERE VISITERS TO THE CITY.
UP TO THE TOP OF WHAT TALL BUILDINGS THERE WERE THEN.
THEY WOULD LOOK DOWN TO GRADE LEVEL PARKING LOTS TATTOO
PARLORS AND SALOONS AND SAY THIS IS POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE MOST
VALUABLE REAL ESTATE IN NORTH AMERICA.
>> Peggy: SO, HE WAS HEARING FROM PEOPLE ABOUT THE CONDITION
BACK THEN.
HE PARLAYED A VISION INTO A REALITY.
HOW DID HE DO THAT.
>> THROUGH REDEVELOPMENT.
WE HEARD ABOUT THE END OF REDEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S TAKING PROPERTY TAXES AND APPLYING THEM TO THE DOWNTOWN
AREA.
THEY SOLD PAR SALS TO THE DEVELOPER AND BUILT THE SHOPPING
CERTAINTY.
THEN THE SAN DIEGO TROLLEY, GASLAMP DISTRICT, CONVENTION
CENTER AND PETCO PARK.
>> Peggy: THERE WAS A HICCUP BECAUSE OF PROP 13.
>> YES.
>> Peggy: IT TOOK AWHILE TO GET THE SHOPPING CENTER.
>> 1972-1985 IT TOOK TO COMPLETE THE PROJECT.
PROPOSITIONS 13 WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PROPERTY TAXES WERE
CHANGED.
THEY CAPPED THE PROPERTY TAXES.
THERE WASN'T AT MUCH MONEY AVAILABLE FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
THERE WAS A HUGE CHANGE IN THE BUSINESS PLAN FOR HORTON PLAZA.
IT TOOK A FEW YEARS FOR THAT TO BE DONE.
President: CRITICS OF THE NEW PARK.
THERE HAVE BEEN CRITICS ALONG THE WAY.
THEY SAY THE AMPHITHEATER WILL PROVIDE FOR PLACES FOR HOMELESS
IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO.
WHAT IS BEING DONE, IF ANYTHING, TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
>> THE GENIUS OF THE PLAN IS INSTEAD OF HAVING THE POLICE BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING SAFE AND ORDER IN THE PLAZA, IT'S
WESTFIELD ITSELF.
UNDER THE 25 YEAR PLAN THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE 2200 SPECIAL
EVENTS A YEAR IN THE PARK.
AS YOU SAID EARLIER THEY WILL HAVE FARMERS MARKETS, MOVIES,
CONCERTS, SPEAKERS, ANY KIND -- ALL SORTS OF ACTIVITIES RELATED
TO THE SHOPPING CENTER, STORES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS.
IF YOU GO DOWN THERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME BETWEEN NOON AND
10:00 P.M.
THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING GOING ON EVERY SINGLE
DAY OF THE YEAR IN HORTON PLAZA.
IF THAT HAPPENS THE HOMELESS MAY BE THERE BUT THEY WILL BE
OUTNUMBERED BY OTHERS IN THE AREA.
>> Peggy: AND WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTER WHO OWNS THE REST IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR -- >> MAINTAIN WILLING AND MANAGING
THE PARK.
>> Peggy: I HAVE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THEM.
THEY WILL MANAGE CAREFUL LY WE'RE OUST TIME.
ROGER SHOWLEY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
GLAD TO BE HERE.