Embarcadero Redesign Gets Go-Ahead

An ambitious project to redevelop San Diego's downtown waterfront gained approval from the California Coastal Commission Wednesday.

In an 8 to 1 vote, the commission approved the first phase of North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. The commission had rejected earlier versions.

The plan calls for a dramatic transformation of the bay front west of Pacific Highway and between the B Street and Navy Piers along Harbor Drive.

The waterfront along Harbor Drive will become a landscaped gathering place for the public, by adding about five acres of parks with plazas, public art, kiosks and walking paths. View design concept

Developers told the commission that a delay could jeopardize more than $28 million in redevelopment funding already approved for the plan.

The Port of San Diego has convened a citizens advisory committee to meet Thursday evening at the port’s Embarcadero Planning Center, according to our media partners at voiceofsandiego. The committee will work through the summer and the public is welcome to attend all meetings.

Groundbreaking is expected to begin by December. If things go according to plan, the new and improved North Embarcadero will be ready in a little more than two years.

The area is big draw for tourists and locals alike. It's home to the cruise ship and harbor cruise industries.

The project is aimed at making the surroundings more people-friendly, and traffic-manageable, while increasing its economic viability. But environmentalists challenged it on grounds that a large oval-shaped, park-like plaza at the foot of Broadway, shown in early designs, had been eliminated.

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