Finishing Touches to Ruocco Park Design Unveiled at Public Meeting

Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Contact: Marguerite Elicone (619) 686-6222

Colorful deciduous trees, lush shrubbery, modern benches with a sleek, yet simple design and dramatic lighting fixtures will be the finishing touches to the proposed Ruocco Park.

The planned landscaping and site furnishing elements for the waterfront park on San Diego Bay were presented to a receptive audience at a public meeting held Tuesday, October 12, 2010.

"Lloyd Ruocco was a minimalist who respected the environment," Dennis Otsuji, the project's landscape architect said at the meeting held at the Port of San Diego's Administration Building. "The quiet reflective areas of this design are what he requested this park include."

The 3.3-acre park will be located at the southwest corner of West Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway at the former Harbor Seafood Mart site. Most of the existing buildings in the area will be demolished to make way for the park which will face San Diego Bay.

A $3.5 million donation from the Lloyd and Ilse Ruocco Fund was awarded to the Port of San Diego in November 2008 to enhance the park's design. The grant is managed by the San Diego Foundation. Lloyd Ruocco was a noted San Diego architect and considered the father of the modern architectural movement here. He has designed several homes throughout the San Diego region, each of them featuring minimalist designs that highlight nature and the environment.

An artwork by San Diego artist Roman de Salvo will greet park goers as they enter the park at the corner of Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway. The artwork was designed in conjunction with Dennis Otsuji's plans for the park. It includes an overhead web of eucalyptus tree limbs that have been splayed and spliced together. The limbs span sinuously across the space, gesturing ornately in the direction of San Diego Bay.

A public restroom is also included in the park's design. The restroom will feature a modern, minimalist design to go with the overall theme of the park. Electrical outlets will be installed to provide electricity for public events and gatherings.

The Board of Port Commissioners is expected to issue a Coastal Development Permit for the park at its November 9, 2010 meeting. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2011.