downtown-san-diego-real-estate/convention-center-expansion/257/
Just South of the existing Convention Center is a big patch of dirt. On one side is the San Diego Convention Center. On the other side is the Embarcadero Marina Park South that features basketball courts, the Summer Pops and Joe’s Crab Shack. The big patch of dirt in between is not a serene, park-like, dear to the hearts of San Diegans aquatic environs. It’s a place that looks like it’s used to dump bodies after mob style hits take place. All that may change soon.
In today’s Union Tribune the article shows a detail map pinpointing the spot where the much needed extension to the convention center will go along with a proposed hotel. Both items are necessary to keep big conventions such as Comic Con International from leaving and going to Los Angeles or Las Vegas. With the delays in the Ballpark Village, which is only keeping our Downtown from growing to its potential, this could be the thing that steps up to the plate to keep us moving in a positive direction as an urban center.
As it stands, our convention center is now too small for 5 different conventions (Radiological Society of North America, National Association of Music Merchandisers, American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and International Helicopter Association)that could result in the loss of roughly $700 million in revenue for the city. If we can’t grow our existing convention space we stand to lose another $520 million in revenue for the city by losing the Society For Neuroscience, Comic-Con International, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society and AARP conventions. Do you see why expanding the current space is necessary? Why places like Ballpark Village are necessary? People need to move on beyond their falsely promised “protected views” and think beyond themselves. I have roughly 1.2 Billion reasons why it needs to happen!
Places like this possible expansion, Ballpark Village, the Main Library and the pedestrian bridge are absolutely needed for our city to grow and thrive and continue to be a place of destination. On a similar note, if I hear one more person say the 10th Avenue terminal deck is a bad idea because of football I’m gonna rip my hair out. For the love of Pete, stop being myopic! As for my hair- it’s all gone already.