ON POINT - August 2008
| “Behind the Scenes at NTC Promenade” Civic Community Forum – August 12th, 5:00pm – 6:00pm at the NTC Command Center (2640 Historic Decatur Road). |
Barracks 19 Renovations Underway at NTC Promenade; Leasing Opportunities Available
Construction will begin in August on the renovation of Barracks 19 at NTC Promenade – the Civic, Arts and Cultural District at Liberty Station. Located at the corner of Historic Decatur Road and Dewey Road, Barracks 19 is one of the original Naval Training Center buildings built in 1923, and was used to house up to 100 recruits before being turned into office space by the Navy. It has sat empty since 1997.
When completed in February 2009 at a cost of nearly $2 million, it will provide nearly 7,000 square feet of new studio, retail or exhibit space in San Diego’s newest creative district.
“This will be the 7th completed building in the 26-building Civic, Arts and Culture District,” said Alan Ziter, NTC Foundation Executive Director. “It provides us an opportunity to create a prototype of a new landmark art and design center in several of the 12 barracks buildings that the NTC Foundation has stewardship over along the North Promenade.”
Thanks to community support, NTC Foundation secured over $32 million to complete Phase I renovations to six buildings in March 2007. Already, NTC Promenade is home to 25 civic and community groups. Over 250,000 residents, visitors and students have attended receptions, festivals, performances, classes and exhibits. People are learning, creating and enjoying themselves.
For Barracks 19, Chris Bittner, architect with Roesling Nakamura Terada, has developed an open floor plan design for the building that preserves the historic features, but creates two floors of space ideal for creating a loft environment for artists and artisans. While no permanent tenants have been secured, discussions are underway with artists seeking studios, as well as commercial tenant prospects that would serve the needs of an art and design district and San Diego’s creative community.
The building’s two lobbies will also feature a professional curated history exhibit telling the story of life as a Recruit at the Naval Training Center. Historian Jennifer Garey of Arts & Antiquities is overseeing the development of the exhibit.
“Preserving not only these historic buildings, but also the legacy of those who served at NTC, is an important part of the NTC Foundation’s mission,” said Ziter.
Funding for the building renovation is made possible through a grant from the City of San Diego’s Redevelopment Agency and the State of California Heritage Fund Program. The general contractor is Bycor, and NTC Foundation Program Manager, Neal Singer, is overseeing the renovations.
The first floor space includes 2,400 sq ft of clear span space; the second floor has over 4,000 sq ft of space with views of Downtown San Diego. Both feature a great deal of natural light, and there is free parking adjacent to the building.
To find out more about leasing opportunities in Barracks 19 or other NTC Foundation buildings, contact Alan Ziter at [email protected] or 619-573-9315. For Legacy Naming Gift information for the Recruit Exhibit, contact Stacy Goodman at [email protected] or 619-573-9307.
You Make a Difference
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Supervisor Greg Cox, the Ackerman Foundation and an anonymous donor for their generous support to the NTC Foundation in July. With the community’s support, NTC will once again transform the lives of new generations as NTC Promenade.
As NTC Foundation begins to plan for Phase II of our project, we face the challenge of increasing both earned and contributed revenue, so that we can continue to translate the community’s vision for NTC Promenade into a new Arts and Culture District, where community visitors from the entire San Diego region will experience a full host of innovative, educational experiences. Special thanks to the following for their recent, generous contributions:
- The County of San Diego, at the recommendation of Supervisor Greg Cox, approved a Community Enhancement Program grant for $15,000 to help the NTC Foundation increase community awareness of the dozens of daily activities taking place among our 25 Resident Groups, and grow our patronage from the current 250,000 residents, visitors and students that are attending receptions, festivals, performances, classes and exhibits at NTC Promenade.
- The Thomas C. Ackerman Foundation generously granted $5,000 to the NTC Foundation to support the inclusion of middle and high school students from the Juvenile Court and Community Schools into The Liberty School program at NTC Promenade. Some of these students are homeless, and many are under court supervision. Most have rarely, if ever, experienced academic success. The Liberty School offers them enriching, positive experiences in a supportive environment, and was started thanks to a founding grant from San Diego National Bank.
- NTC Foundation received a generous gift of $5,000 from an anonymous donor to help further our mission and plan for the future of what will be a “gift to the region” as we renovate buildings and welcome more resident groups.
You can make a difference too. Please consider making a donation to the NTC Foundation to invest in the future of the community and enrich the lives of generations to come. For more information contact Stacy Goodman at [email protected] or 619-573-9307. (Donate now!)
CowParade Artists Lab Opens at Liberty Station for Public Viewing
The community is invited to come out on Saturday, August 9 from noon to 2 p.m. for the launch
of Artist of the Day program featured by CowParade – the world’s largest and foremost public art event - at the CowParade Artists Lab located at Liberty Station, 2855 Perry Rd. This is the first opportunity for the community to observe artists working onsite at Liberty Station – the first of many experiences that NTC Foundation is working on to take place everyday at NTC Promenade in the near future.
Enter Liberty Station from Lytton Ave through the historic Gate 1. Free parking is available in the lot at Perry and Historic Decatur. There is no charge for admission.
CowParade San Diego will feature 200 life-sized fiberglass cows transformed by artists from San Diego and Tijuana and displayed around San Diego’s premier outdoor locations for three months – Jan. 3 through March 31, 2009. The cows will dot the region’s landscape and become an important tourism attraction and weekend outing for local families. More than 1 million people are expected to visit the cows in San Diego. Local businesses, hotels, restaurants and retailers will sponsor the cows individually or in multiple cow “herds.”
CowParade has a diverse range of artists from the San Diego area including painters, sculptors, craftsmen and multi-media artists – ranging from well-known to emerging will be participating in the exhibition. An auction of the top 50 cows — to be held at the end of the exhibition — will raise funds to benefit Rady Children’s Hospital, The Zoological Society of San Diego and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership.
CowParade San Diego will reach out to local students during its three month run. School children will participate in a design competition that will give many their first exposure to the creative process and allow them to create their own “minimoo” cows — perfect miniatures of the full-sized versions — for public display.
CowParade has been held in more than 50 cities on six continents and has been seen by more than 100 million people. From its start in Chicago in 1999, CowParade has evolved in size, creativity and quality with exhibitions in cities such as New York, Paris, Mexico City and Buenos Aires. The event has raised more than $25 million for charities worldwide through live and online cow auctions at the end of each city’s exhibition.
For more information regarding CowParade, please visit www.cowparadesandiego.com.
NTC Promenade in the News
Don Harrison, of The San Diego Jewish World, recently wrote two captivating features about the progress of NTC Promenade, the NTC Promenade tenants and the activities taking place here.
To The Point ...
NTC Promenade is the place to be this summer – performances, concerts, kids summer camps, theater workshops, dance classes, museum openings, galleries and more. Come experience NTC Promenade!
- August 8, 16, 22: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The Point Loma Actors and Merchants of Liberty Station Marketplace inaugural performance, 8 p.m., located in the Promenade near Panera Bread, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Tender Greens NTC Command Center. For more information please contact: Bridget Wear at 619-335-0221. See details below.
- August 9: Figuratively Speaking. Visions Art Quilt Gallery opening reception, 5 to 7 p.m., 2825 Dewey Rd. For more information visit www.quiltvisions.org or call 619-546-4872.
- August 12: Behind the Scenes at NTC Promenade. NTC Foundation monthly civic community forum, 5 to 6 p.m., NTC Command Center, 2640 Historic Decatur St. There is no charge for admission. RSVP to [email protected].
- August 16: 30 Days of Blue SAN Skyfaire. San Diego International Airport 80th anniversary celebration, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 2884 Roosevelt Rd. There is no charge for admission. For more information visit www.san.org/airport/30Days_of_Blue.asp.
- August 22: 2008 Best of San Diego Party. San Diego Magazine celebrates the 2008 “Best of” award winners, 5:30 to 10 p.m., Legacy Plaza, 2884 Roosevelt Rd. For more information visit www.sandiegomagazine.com.
The Point Loma Actors & Merchants of Liberty Station Marketplace Inaugural Performance: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
August 8, 16 and 22 – 8 p.m.
Liberty Station Marketplace, Promenade
The Point Loma Actors and the Merchants of Liberty Station Marketplace are pleased to announce the inaugural performance of Shakespeare's beloved A Midsummer Night’s Dream this summer at Liberty Station. The free performances will be presented on Friday, August 8, Saturday, August 16th and Friday, August 22nd. All performances will begin at 8 p.m. and will be held on the grassy historic Promenade in front of the fountain located near Panera Bread, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza and Tender Greens.
Families with children of all ages are invited. All are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs for comfort. It is suggested that attendees visit the many restaurants at Liberty Station Marketplace to enjoy dinner prior to the performance or purchase from their "to go" menus. For more information please contact Bridget Wear at 619-335-0221.
Be sure to check the NTC Promenade online calendar for all the happenings scheduled.