San Diego:
Horton Plaza


Location: next to historic Downtown, between Broadway and G Street, and First and Fourth Avenues

Developer: The Hahn Company San Diego, CA
Architect: Jon Jerde Architects Venice, CA
Use: multi-use, multiple level, open air, urban center, with retail, dining, entertainment, parking

Development Costs: $ 140 millions
Public Investment: $ 39 millions in land acquisition, public improvements

Opened: August 9, 1985


History of Horton Plaza:

1867: Alonzo Horton acquires the land for $265, moving the commercial center of the city from the Old Downtown to the Waterfront area

1950s, 1960s: the area becomes the headquarters of the adult entertainment businesses in the city

1969: urban renewal study of the area for the celebration of the city's 200th anniversary, City Council

Early 70s: Pete Nilson, a fervent supporter of the re-development of the Horton Plaza, is elected as Mayor of the city of San Diego

1974: The Hahn Company is confirmed as the re-development company

1975: Jerde Architects starts the elaboration of the architectural conceptualization of the three blocks

1985: after 10 years of coroborative efforts - City, Developer, Business Associations, Neighborhood Organisations, Architect - Horton Plaza is opened to the public on August 9.

1997: 82.24% of the adjacent Downtown office space is leased, new housing developments of 57 units, in the adjacent block, aproved by the City Council, Balboa Theater in the Horton Square renovated - a project of $12.6 millions

1998: Horton Plaza is leased in proportion of 97%, 140 stores are located here, AP News "San Diego's best 112", in the business category, Horton Plaza is rated as the first

1999: "restoration" of the color scheme and urban furniture is in process, new study for expanding the mall over the parking structure, as well as within its own footprint is in process as part of the "Horton Plaza 2000" project.


References:

Architectural Record, 3/86, Horton Plaza, San Diego: The Fun City

Frieden, Bernard J. and Lynne B. Sagalyn, 1990, Downtown, Inc.: How America Rebuilt Cities, the MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

Library of articles on the website of the city of San Diego Downtown: http://sddt.com

Useful links: http://sddt.com/clients/hortonplaza/files/factsheet.html
http://sddt.com
http://www.harvard.edu/profdev/dmc.html
http://www.hortonplaza.com


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