![\"People](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/web-MAIN-DOWNTOWN-NEWS-Image-1.jpg\")
But the 107-year-old landmark, situated in the heart of Horton Plaza Park, not only has a solidified future today, but it is shining brightly amid a larger scale restorative effort and a robust public-private partnership.<\/p>\n
Save Our Heritage Organisation (SOHO), the group putting a spotlight on restorative efforts in San Diego, noted the fountain\u2019s renewed glimmering beauty recently. Three organizations \u2014 the city of San Diego, Civic San Diego and property management company Westfield \u2014 were honored with SOHO\u2019s Partners in Preservation award this year.<\/p>\n
In May, Amie Hayes, SOHO\u2019s historic resources specialist, made note of the significance surrounding the resurged park and fountain during the group\u2019s annual People in Preservation awards ceremony.<\/p>\n
Hayes and others within SOHO attributed \u201cthe ravages of time\u201d and \u201csocial engineering\u201d to the park\u2019s wane over a prolonged period.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that was once attractive about the park was made inhospitable and uncomfortable to keep homeless people from camping out,\u201d Hayes said at the ceremony. \u201cBroadway Fountain, its colorfully illuminated centerpiece, stopped flowing for years.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the Broadway Fountain was on shakier ground, SOHO stepped up on multiple occasions \u2014 three, in fact \u2014 to save it from dismantling. The iconic landmark is such a prominent part of SOHO\u2019s efforts and mission statement that the fountain is featured within its own logo.<\/p>\n
Since Horton Plaza Park and the Broadway Fountain did not fall into disrepair overnight, it stands to reason the restoration effort followed a similar trajectory. The end result is linked to a collaborative public-private partnership between the city, Civic San Diego and Westfield, which owns the adjacent Horton Plaza mall.<\/p>\n Civic San Diego, the city-owned nonprofit corporation that tackles issues such as neighborhood revitalization, spearheaded the restoration work.<\/p>\n While the historical component was a driving force in the effort to breathe new life into Horton Plaza Park, Daniel Kay, Civic San Diego\u2019s principal engineer of public works, said the space presented broader opportunities as well.<\/p>\n \u201cDowntown is lacking a lot of park and public space,\u201d Kay said. \u201cThis is a perfect gathering space.\u201d<\/p>\n The public-private partnership calls on Westfield to manage Horton Plaza Park during a 25-year window that began last year, when the space officially reopened. Under terms of the agreement, Westfield is renting out the space and programming the more than 75 events held within it each year.<\/p>\n In a statement, Kim Brewer, vice president of development with Westfield, said the revitalization presents new opportunities for the company and community as a whole.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a park in the traditional sense,\u201d Brewer said in the statement. \u201c[It is] a world-class urban plaza and entertainment destination in the heart of the Gaslamp.\u201d<\/p>\n Jodie Brown, a senior planner with the city of San Diego, said the municipality itself also wanted to offer assistance in any way possible to ensure the revitalization effort went off without a hitch.<\/p>\n The city\u2019s contribution included in-house expertise from Brown and other officials, in addition to hosting public meetings on the full scope of the project.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an asset to the city,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThis is a historically designated site, and it is one of the oldest historically designated sites in this city.\u201d<\/p>\n The heavy lifting on the restoration of the park and fountain began about three years ago, and the wraps were taken off May 4, 2016, during a much-ballyhooed grand reopening celebration.<\/p>\n Kay gleefully proclaims that the fountain is flowing just as it did when it was first installed in 1910.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a lot of unintended and small construction issues,\u201d Kay said. \u201cWe worked hard to make sure all the new equipment would marry up with the fountain.\u201d<\/p>\n The intricate design includes pumping water from the pool to an upper-level dome and then allowing it to cascade back down. As part of the restoration, the fountain features also more than 40 lights.<\/p>\n Although the process was intensive, Kay said it also was rewarding. He went so far as to describe it as \u201cfun.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you put it back together and see how it once was \u2014 it\u2019s impressive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Brown agreed, saying she marvels at the fountain every time she sees it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to see it restored,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a truly beautiful site. I think it looks fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n SOHO is not the only organization to tip its hat to Civic San Diego, the city of San Diego and Westfield for the collaborative effort.<\/p>\n The entire Horton Plaza Park site is a nominee in this year\u2019s Orchids and Onions juried competition, which is overseen by the San Diego Architectural Foundation.<\/p>\n Orchids and Onions is aimed at taking a look at the best and worst in the city\u2019s urban landscape. Orchids are handed out to visually appealing sites, while onions are assigned to the other end of the spectrum.<\/p>\n![\"People](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/web-DOWNTOWN-NEWS-Image-2.jpg\")