By Karen Robes Meeks
The Port of San Diego and the San Diego Symphony recently broke ground on the Bayside Performance Park project in the Port’s Embarcadero Marina Park South.
The waterfront-enhancing “park within a park” project will feature a new, permanent performance venue for the symphony, a wider public promenade and new or upgraded benches, basketball courts and exercise equipment, gazebo, lighting, and restrooms.
"Today marks the end of a nearly four-year process that brought together the Port of San Diego and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra in creating a new vision for the tidelands,” said Martha Gilmer, San Diego Symphony CEO. "Now we begin working together to build a remarkable project designed to bring this park alive with music and activities for everyone in our community.”
Construction is expected to be completed by next summer, in time for the beginning of the Bayside Summer Nights concert series.
“The San Diego Symphony is a wonderful partner. We couldn’t be more pleased that we’ve moved into the construction phase with the first concerts scheduled to begin next summer,” said Chairman Garry Bonelli, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners. “The Symphony’s $45 million minimum investment will create a stunning year-round performance venue right on the San Diego Bay waterfront and provide a new and improved public park that everyone can enjoy.”