Embarcadero (San Diego)


The Embarcadero in San Diego, California is the area along the San Diego harbor on the east side of San Diego Bay. "Embarcadero" is a Spanish word meaning "boarding place". The Embarcadero sits on property administered by the Port of San Diego, in the Columbia district of Downtown San Diego.
The Embarcadero is home to the San Diego cruise ship terminal, the museum ships at Navy Pier and, seven other historic vessels belonging to the San Diego Maritime Museum, and various restaurants and shops from the North Embarcadero down through Seaport Village. The Port is redeveloping the historic Broadway Pier to create a second cruise-ship pier and terminal. That project is slated for completion in December 2010.

Embarcadero Circle

Embarcadero Circle is a redevelopment project in the North Embarcadero, located at Broadway and Harbor Drive. It will include the new cruise ship terminal at Broadway Pier, as well as two hotels: a 27-story Marriott hotel with 500 rooms and a concert venue, and a 40-story Hyatt hotel. Embarcadero Circle is located north of the Navy Broadway Complex.

North Embarcadero Visionary Plan

In 1997, a major redevelopment of the Embarcadero was proposed, to be carried out through a Joint Powers Authority, composed of the City of San Diego, the Centre City Development Corporation, and the Port of San Diego. The proposed redevelopment was called the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, a multi-phased redevelopment of the waterfront in Downtown San Diego. This redevelopment project proposed to move Harbor Drive to the east and build an esplanade from the B Street Pier to the former Navy Pier along Harbor Drive. It also included public art displays, tree groves and open spaces, while continuing San Diego's tradition of having a working waterfront, according to Port plans. The proposed redevelopment area was bordered by Market Street to the south, Laurel Street to the north, and the railroad tracks to the east.
However, the proposed redevelopment project was sent back to the drawing boards in April 2010 when the California Coastal Commission rejected it. A major issue was the disappearance from the plan of an originally proposed grassy park. In the plan rejected by the Coastal Commission, the park had been replaced by a smaller, hardscape plaza. The Port will now amend its master plan and resubmit its proposal for Coastal Commission approval, a process that can take several years.