Where some people might see vacant lots and utility infrastructure, Nathan Elliott sees opportunity. Elliott is a principal with OJB Landscape Architecture, a national landscape architecture firm with a San Diego presence since 2003.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Working with Civic San Diego, the\u00a0<\/span>city\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Park and Recreation Department and a team of local consultants, Elliott has led OJB\u2019s preparation of East Village Green\u2019s General Development Plan (GDP), and his team is currently preparing to begin the design process that will ultimately lead to the park\u2019s construction.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201c<\/span>Our work takes us across the country to pursue and develop these kinds of projects and it is extremely gratifying to work on such an important project in our own hometown,\u201d said Elliott.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Anticipated as a three-phase project, East Village Green\u2019s GDP identifies a 4.1-acre park bound by 13th, 15th, F and G\u00a0<\/span>calles\u00a0<\/span>in the heart of<\/span>\u00a0San Diego\u2019s growing East Village neighborhood. The block of 14th Street between F and G\u00a0<\/span>calles\u00a0<\/span>is envisioned as a pedestrian plaza that could be closed to accommodate street fairs, farmer\u2019s markets and community events.<\/span><\/p>\n The project\u2019s first phase will include the 40,000-square-foot city block east of the New School for Architecture and an additional 20,000-square-foot parcel on the block to the east.\u00a0<\/span>The East Village has precious little public open space, although it has been recently expanded by the addition of Fault Line Park in 2015.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The OJB team, in collaboration with Civic San Diego, led a series of public workshops that solicited feedback from the community and offered a series of alternative concepts for the park. The park\u2019s proposed plan reflects a hybrid solution integrating the best ideas for each concept<\/span>\u00a0and will include a wide range of program activities that will appeal to people from all walks of life.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cEast Village Green will truly have something for everyone,\u201d said Elliott.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Projects like\u00a0Quartyard\u00a0and Maker\u2019s Quarter demonstrate the very real demand in the neighborhood for public space, Elliott believes. As more residential development is added to the neighborhood, the need for more public open space will increase.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Currently an arts and industrial neighborhood in transition, the East Village is anticipated to evolve over the next decade to a mixed-use community of nearly 30,000 residents. This new urban park will be the signature open space for the neighborhood and is envisioned as the hub of community activity.?\u201cIt will<\/span>\u00a0be a place where everyone is welcome,\u201d said Elliott.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Urban sites often pose unique challenges to designers, and East Village Green\u2019s site includes a number of challenges that the team hopes to leverage into new creative opportunities. The site contains a series of active seismic faults and a\u00a0<\/span>22-foot\u00a0<\/span>elevation change from one end to another. Understanding key neighborhood assets like the new Central Library, Petco Park,\u00a0Quartyard\u00a0and Makers Quarter also offer insights as to how the park might be used.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Elliott y su equipo creen que los modelos operativos y de financiaci\u00f3n alternativos para el parque podr\u00edan proporcionar fondos para mitigar los problemas clave identificados por los residentes del vecindario en los talleres p\u00fablicos, como la seguridad y el mantenimiento, aunque se\u00f1al\u00f3 que encontrar el "ajuste" adecuado para la comunidad es una parte clave de ese di\u00e1logo.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The economic downturns often result in reduced municipal tax revenues, making the operations and maintenance of public open spaces more challenging for the city departments that care for them. An increasingly popular tool in this work is collaboration with non<\/span>profit foundations or private entities to support park operations, Elliott explained.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Elliott is excited about the project\u2019s potential to be a hub for \u201ccreative collision\u201d by becoming the neighborhood\u2019s central gathering space. \u201cI think the East Village is in the midst of an unprecedented transformation and we\u2019re very optimistic about the ways this important new public open space will help catalyze that change,\u201d he said.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Features of East Village Green:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n Community center with meeting rooms and basketball half-court\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Two-level underground parking structure\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n 11,000-s<\/span>quare-foot\u00a0<\/span>event lawn with real turf\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Performance pavilion and plaza<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Children\u2019s play area<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Interactive water feature\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Reading room\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Off-leash dog parks<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBark Bar\u201d pet-friendly outdoor dining<\/span><\/p>\n Food truck parking<\/span><\/p>\n Table games area<\/span><\/p>\n Generous pedestrian sidewalks<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Drought-tolerant landscape\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Moveable and fixed furniture<\/span><\/p>\n![\"East](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/gym-300x213.jpg\")