Application Submitted to Begin Processof Revitalizing Westfield Horton Plaza
What is Westfield Submitting?
Westfield submitted an application to the City of San Diego on Sept. 30 to begin revitalizing its Horton Plaza shopping center in downtown. The official submission is an application for a Centre City Development Permit. Plans for this project are consistent with the existing community plan.
This proposal for Horton Plaza includes the revitalization of the former Robinson’s-May building that faces Broadway. The objective of the project is to elevate the quality of the space and improve the mix of retail offerings for the community. Upon completion, the revised floor plan will accommodate up to 14 new tenants. The site currently accommodates five tenants, including Steve and Barry’s, Sam Goody, Citibank, United Artists and Abercrombie & Fitch.
How has Westfield Incorporated Community Feedback?
In anticipation of submittal, Westfield conducted an independent analysis of the retail needs and desires of the residential and business communities in downtown. This included meetings with stakeholders in the downtown community to gather input about how Horton Plaza can be improved to better serve the community. The results showed that the downtown community would like to see the following for Horton Plaza:
The revitalization of the old Robinson’s-May building will serve as a catalyst for accomplishing each of those goals. Plans for the future include an expanded dining terrace, improved common areas and easier pedestrian access throughout the center.
What Happens Next?
The next step is to present the plan to the Centre City Advisory Committee (CCAC). After CCAC, it then goes to the Centre City Development Corporation board for approval. Westfield also plans to continue meeting with various community groups in downtown to gather more input and update interested parties on the project’s progress.
What has Westfield Recently Accomplished?
Westfield has a strong track record of acquiring and then reinvesting in shopping centers to keep them vital, vibrant, productive and appealing to consumers. In the last 10 years, the company purchased a number of aging shopping centers in San Diego County and has plans to reinvest in each one so that they can continue to provide exceptional experiences for its customers. Westfield’s commitment to continued investment in San Diego has not been diminished by the sluggish economy.
In fact, Westfield has recently made good progress on improving its other centers in San Diego. A $115 million renovation of Plaza Bonita was completed earlier this year, and on July 29 the San Diego City Council approved a $900 million revitalization of UTC. On August 5, Westfield submitted an application to initiate an amendment to the Mission Valley Community Plan in order to revitalize its Mission Valley shopping center.
What is Horton Plaza’s Background?
Horton Plaza first opened in downtown San Diego in 1985. It was the first successful effort to develop a retail area downtown since the rise of suburban shopping centers decades earlier. Westfield purchased the 740,000 square foot shopping center in 1998. Westfield Horton Plaza is an open-air, five-level retail destination encompassing 6½ city blocks and includes two major department stores, specialty shops, restaurants and a movie theater.
Horton Plaza was the catalyst for the revitalization of downtown San Diego, followed by the Convention Center, the Gaslamp district and PETCO Park. Since its construction, the needs of the downtown community have changed. According to the Centre City Development Corporation, roughly 30,000 people now live downtown and the workforce is approximately 80,000. The 2006 Downtown Community Plan projects that by 2030, downtown could accommodate 90,000 residents and 165,000 workers. This growth is stimulating an increasing demand for more retail.
Built before downtown San Diego’s revitalization in the late 1990s, Horton Plaza was designed to meet the needs of visitors and tourists. The bustling residential neighborhoods that now surround Horton Plaza require additional goods and services to support them.
Downtown San Diego is designated as an “Urban Center” in SANDAG’s Regional Comprehensive Plan (RCP), and Westfield must modernize Horton Plaza to continue its role as a valuable community resource.
Australia
Westfield Group