Photo Credit: San Diego County Parks and Recreation Department
Fountains erupted at the new Waterfront Park as the county of San Diego celebrated one of the largest grand-opening events in its history. on May 10.
In 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the County Administration Center (CAC), an event that drew a crowd of more than 25,000 people. For decades the building was surrounded by asphalt parking lots and a small office building. No recreational opportunities for the community were provided.
With the building situated next to San Diego Bay, the County Board of Supervisors recognized the site had the potential to be developed as an iconic park that would attract visitors from throughout the region. Following demolition of an old health building and the parking lots surrounding the CAC, in September 2012 construction began on an underground parking structure and an above-ground park. The nearly $50-million project was completed 19 months later on time and within budget.