Pete Garcia: URBAN INTERVENTIONS
9:30 AM, Saturday, January 20, 2024
NewSchool of Architecture and Design
1249 F St., Downtown San Diego
Since the early-20th century, the idea of linking San Diego Bay and Balboa Park via a monumental and lushly landscaped promenade has remained alive, even though most efforts have gone nowhere. Now, a new attempt is gaining momentum, thanks to the efforts of Pete Garcia, his wife Beth Callender, and Chloé Lauer, Urban Planner, in partnership with property owners, designers, and other downtown and park stakeholders.
Garcia will discuss his Bay to Park Paseo project that will feature 13 temporary artistic installations along Park Boulevard from Harbor Drive to Presidents Way. This will be the first project produced as part of the year-long celebration of the World Design Capital: San Diego/Tijuana 2024.
Pete Garcia is a long-time civic leader, helping to improve the downtown scene through the couple’s nonprofit URBAN INTERVENTIONS. Beth Callender is a former president of the local chapter of the Urban Land Institute. Garcia also is a board member of the Balboa Park Committee of 100, which focuses on preservation of the park’s buildings and grounds.
With business partner David Malmuth, Garcia launched the I.D.E.A. District a decade ago, aiming to turn East Village into a center for innovation, design, education, and the arts. In 2017, they completed IDEA1, the mixed-use project just north of the NewSchool of Architecture and Design.
Son of a well-respected architect in Cuba, Garcia received a degree in industrial engineering in 1969 at the University of Florida. After moving to San Diego in 1973, he led a team to build the city’s first biopharmaceutical facility, Hybritech. He also led University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors, Inc., and consulted for a variety of other companies, including Disney. On the side, he wrote a screenplay and a novel, and took up painting, with sales of his works going to charities.
Our lecture will be held in the auditorium at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design at 1249 F Street in downtown San Diego.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early for coffee, snacks, and catching up with old friends. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. A $5 donation is requested.