Public Comments Heard at USS Midway Museum’s Park Proposal Workshop

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Public comments about the USS Midway Museum's proposal to build a Veteran's Memorial Park that includes a large sail-shaped structure on Navy Pier were heard on November 29, 2011, during the first of three scheduled public workshops.

Some participants said the proposed 500-foot-high structure would become an iconic image for San Diego similar to the St. Louis Gateway Arch, while others called the architectural element "a monstrosity."

About 75 people, including downtown residents, USS Midway Museum members, architects and artists attended the workshop. It was facilitated by Tucker Sadler Associates on behalf of the USS Midway Museum.

The aircraft carrier USS Midway, a museum since 2004, is docked at Navy Pier along the North Embarcadero of San Diego Bay in San Diego.

Although the public meeting was held at the Port Administration Building, this is not a Port of San Diego project. The proposed Veteran's Memorial Park and structure is a USS Midway Museum concept. The USS Midway Museum is a tenant of the Port of San Diego.

The Board of Port Commissioners has not taken a position on the project at this time.

As part of Midway's lease agreement with the Port District and the Coastal Development Permit that it was granted by the California Coastal Commission, the Midway Museum is required to provide a plan and project description for a park on Navy Pier by no later than October 1, 2012.

The Port District encourages more public open space. The current Port Master Plan states that a 5.7-acre Veteran's Memorial Park on Navy Pier is a specific planning goal of the Port District.

Other public meetings are scheduled for:

• Tuesday, December 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, December 10 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

These meetings will also be held at the Port Administration Building.

For more information on the project, visit VeteransParkNavyPier.com.

The Port of San Diego was created by state legislature in 1962 and is responsible for $1.7 billion in public improvements in its five member cities: Imperial Beach, Coronado, Chula Vista, National City and San Diego.

The Port District oversees two maritime cargo terminals, two cruise ship terminals, 17 public parks, the Harbor Police Department and the leases of more than 600 tenant and sub tenant businesses around San Diego Bay.