A Balboa Park Conservancy committee has been formed to address the vital needs of San Diego’s crown jewel of parks while two other associations gear their efforts toward the centennial celebration in 2015. It’s a three-pronged project for improvements, changes and an effort to generate new life in the park that grew from two successful expositions and has evolved into the home for numerous museums and cultural centers. Besides the conservancy, Plaza de Panama planners and the San Diego Tourism Marketing District are involved. Each has independent committees and fundraising resources. Charles Hellerich, who heads the mayor’s appointed conservancy, said there is compatibility among the three groups that will foster improvements. “They can work together very well,” he said. “The conservancy committee is in this for the long term while the other two will go away when their [2015] project is done.” A 2008 study showed that the park needed $238 million in improvements and that city money was unavailable. The conservancy has acquired a total of $120,000 from the Leger Benbough Foundation, the Parker Foundation and the Balboa Park Trust Committee of the San Diego Foundation. “The foundations have been supportive of the effort in a wonderful way for the last three or four years, including undertaking a couple of studies critical to the process of designing that was ultimately recommended,” said Hellerich. “The conservancy, which will grow in size, is still in a formidable stage. The 2015 committee is looking at creating (solely) the centennial event. “We’ll be raising funds and carrying out capital projects and deal with maintenance and management issues. The committee will make recommendations to the City Council and continue to be the primarily role player.” Appointed to the conservancy committee are Joye Blount, Carol Chang, Benjamin Clay, Maria Davilla, Raymond Ellis, Joyce Gattas, PhD., Vicki Granowitz, Connie Matsui Beckman, Paul Meyer and Judith Swink. They will meet monthly. “We will need to hire some professional assistance to get the instituation up and running,” Hellerich said. “We have to undertake some studies for specific needs that identify with the projects. Our mission is to keep Balboa Park magnificent into the 21st century.” The most extensive plan has been unveiled by Qualcomm founder and philanthropist Irwin Jacob which proposes the removal of 67 parking spaces from Balboa Park’s main square near the Prado and building a two-level parking garage with up to 900 spaces south of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Jacobs, who has donated tens of millions of dollars to local causes, has formed an 11-member committee to raise necessary funds. This would return the plaza to a pedestrian-only zone familiar to the 1915-16 and 1935-36 expositions. The plan envisions only eastbound traffic across the Cabrillo Bridge and rerouting the road through Alcazar Gardens and parking lot below, exiting near President’s Way.