Reimagining the Civic Heart of San Diego
By Grant Oliphant, CEO, Prebys Foundation
A city is more than its buildings. It is its people. It is the way we live and work together, the aspirations we hold in common, and the ways in which the spaces and buildings we share strengthen our connections and sense of community. On July 14, I had the privilege of joining Betsy Brennan of the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Omar Blaik of U3 Advisors in presenting to the San Diego City Council a vision for just such a space — a robust Civic Center worthy of our city and its dreams, not just a collection of parcels but the vibrant heart of a reconnected downtown.
It was an extraordinary moment. What we brought forward was in many ways simple and obvious — a reimagined space that opens up public uses, access, and sightlines and that celebrates San Diego’s unique culture, entertainment, and outdoor urban life. But driving that core simplicity was a shared vision born of hundreds of voices, ranging from downtown workers, business, and residents to designers, property owners, and policy makers. Its power lies in how it reflects our clear collective hope for a more inclusive, dynamic, and people-centered downtown.
A Vision Grounded in Possibility
We proposed something more than revitalization. We proposed reimagining — what would it mean for the Civic Center to serve all San Diegans, not just some? What if the blocks at the city’s core pulsed with arts, culture, civic life, diverse housing, educational opportunity, and yes, joy?
“This isn’t just about buildings,” we told the Council. “It’s about people, and purpose, and public life. It’s about what it means to belong to a place.”
That idea resonated throughout the chamber. Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown, offered a powerful reflection:
“The Civic Center does not reflect the energy and growth happening around it. It feels disconnected… This vision is not being proposed to the community — it is being proposed by the community.”
He recognized the unique alignment that has emerged — a coalition of philanthropic, civic, educational, and community partners, all working toward a common goal of transforming that experience.
Council President Joe LaCava affirmed this as a moment to embrace:
“There’s a lot of places around downtown that we thought could rise up to the level of what you’re talking about, and it never quite got there. And so I would ask for consideration — why didn’t it? What should we learn from those spaces? Whether it’s the Gaslamp Quarter, the ballpark district, East Village, Little Italy — places that are uniquely San Diego. No matter what we do here, we’re still San Diego. So let’s bring a new vision with authenticity, understanding what does and doesn’t work, and create a better experience.”
The Power of Public Life
Throughout the session, council members spoke candidly about the urgency and challenges of this work. The Civic Center as it stands today is alienating, deteriorating, and — most tragically — failing to invite public life. As Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee put it,
“What we call the Civic Center right now isn’t serving that purpose. It is not the center of civic life.”
Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera called for decisive action, noting the opportunity to transform obsolete government buildings into much-needed affordable housing. He cited Chicago’s Millennium Park as a model of civic imagination — where philanthropic, public, and private partners came together to create something extraordinary for everyone.
“It’s hard for me to imagine a move philanthropy could make that would have more positive long-term impacts for downtown than helping unlock this space.”
This idea — that a city can express its values through design — was echoed again and again. That public space is civic infrastructure. That where people gather, share stories, encounter difference, and participate in culture, something essential happens: democracy lives.
Anchored in Arts, Education, and Equity
Public testimony brought this point home. Dr. Denise Rogers of Mesa College shared the story of the World Art Collection, a trove of over 2,000 pieces from across the African diaspora and beyond. “These pieces speak not only to scholars or students,” she said, “but to members of our community who trace their ancestry to these traditions.”
Chancellor Gregory Smith of the San Diego Community College District spoke to the possibilities of bringing education downtown, imagining a museum and learning center built around that collection that would serve both students and the broader public.
“Our district stands ready to serve our community in this way,” he said in an extraordinary expression of commitment to this bold new vision.
We also heard from Corinne Wilson of the Municipal Employees Association, who spoke of downtown as a “third space” — a place between work and home where community is built. “Let us go forward and do this,” she urged. “Future San Diegans will thank us.”
