Development Firm May Bring In Popular Shopping Destinations And Bar/Restaurants
Hark back to the days when Horton Plaza was a mecca of San Diego activity, buzzing with life from the shops, bar/restaurants, cute girls in kiosks and constant foot traffic.
Those days may be returning as as retail development firm is putting in $275 million for a redevelopment of the three-story center, which once served as the northern gateway to the Gaslamp Quarter.
Stockdale Capital Partners plans to turn the once-thriving mall – which opened in 1985 and was an instant success –into a complex with restaurants, entertainment and offices. It has yet to specify its exact plans but at the very least, this now-deserted area is getting new life. Construction is to begin in 2021. When it will open has also not been announced to the public.
Horton Plaza had a bit of a remake a few years ago when a courtyard with a fountain was added, as well as inviting palm trees along Broadway across from the hotel U.S. Grant. But this cosmetic facelift did not bring back any activity to the mall itself and now only Macy’s – which must give up it’s store to Stockdale in the agreement – Jimbo’s food market and the United States Post Office occupy space at the shopping center.
As a result, the place is deserted. In fact, there are more homeless people at Horton Plaza than customers, although the adjacent Balboa Theater remains a popular place for people to see plays, small concerts and shows.
Stockdale Capital Partners could revive Horton Plaza as a thriving mini-community, especially if it provides attractive shopping options – two missing stores in the Gaslamp are an Apple store and a Trader Joe’s – and some lively bar and restaurant establishments.
One could argue that the Gaslamp has plenty of the latter and while that’s true, it’s always healthy for an area to have a multitude of attractive nightlife and dining choices.
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