"Love Balboa Park" (TM) has been our trade and service mark since 2013. Love Balboa Park is one of the few Park organizations that aggressively challenges local politicians to actually support the "Jewel" of the City. Press conferences in front of crumbling buildings have done nothing to actually meet the needs of the Park. Long-term major financing for these needs, native-plant restoration of th
e Florida Canyon Nature Preserve, and a focus on the future are all issues conveniently ignored by elected officials. George Marston put it best in his letter sent to our local newspaper paper in 1925: " the time is coming when the building of hospitals and schoolhouses or even libraries and museums must cease or else we shall have a city there instead of a park." As planner John Nolen wrote to the City in November, 1926,
""No institutions, religious, educational or philanthropic, in the park or likely to be placed there, can in my opinion represent the interest of the whole of the population of San Diego now or in the future." Balboa Park is under constant assault by Politicians' fiscal & physical neglect, those who want to strip its historical fabric for "Improvements". Politicians, developers and advocates of "self-sustaining" parks have advocated hotels and retail development of Inspiration Point. Others would cover dedicated parklands with more pavement, charter schools, Vendor Arnachy, for-profit Ferris Wheels and other favored private projects. Now the "Forver Balboa Park" group, formerly the Balboa Park Conservancy, is proposing the landmark Botanical Building be converted to a revenue-generating events venue. A "Win-Win, Public/Private. Self-Sustaining" way to pay for a much needed restoration, while limiting public access to this treasure, reducing the space devoted to plantings and potentially ruining its unique Art Nouveau look and feel. Love Balboa Park celebration events, advocacy work and potential legal efforts for 2022 need YOUR active participation, volunteer assistance and generous support in time and effort. YOU can make a difference now by becoming a Love Balboa Park Member, by volunteering and by SHARING this with all your Facebook friends. The Park needs YOUR voice and support NOW. It's been more than 100 years since former president Theodore Roosevelt stood on the platform at the brand new Spreckels Organ Pavilion and made what he called "an earnest plea" to San Diego. The Panama-California Exposition, he said, "is so beautiful that I hope that not only will you keep these buildings running for another year but you will keep these buildings of rare, phenomenal taste and beauty permanently." The park's relatively low priority is ironic, considering how much emphasis city officials have been putting on the tourism, The Park attracts more than 12 million visitors annually, more than any other San Diego attraction other than all beaches combined. The city Politicians are ignoring this funding need, making a total $460,000 appropriation in next year's budget for all Park building and and infrastructure needs. Become a part of San Diego history ! Support the BPHA and help Love Balboa Park [TM 2016].
