Balboa Park could see return of Starlight Bowl in renewed renovation push

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Nearing the end of a massive renovation to Balboa Park’s iconic Botanical Building, the city of San Diego is now looking to revive other landmarks in the park that have fallen into disrepair.

During his second annual State of Balboa Park address on Thursday, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced plans to revisit the decades-old master plan guiding development of the city’s crown jewel.

He also promised to find ways to direct more funding to the park, including money that could go towards reopening shuttered landmarks of the park like the Starlight Bowl and address a long backlog of projects to bring the park up to modern standards.

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“We are making the most out of the City’s limited resources to maintain and elevate this civic treasure,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “However, there is still a long list of unfunded projects and deferred maintenance that we must address.”

Held at the San Diego Natural History Museum, the address sought to highlight the investments Gloria’s administration has already made in Balboa Park — like the $28 million renovation of the Botanical Building and a creation of the Pershing Bikeway alongside SANDAG — while looking towards improvements needed to maintain the park for future generations.

To that end, the mayor called for the city to revisit the 35-year-old Balboa Park Master Plan to guide development projects over the next few decades — initiatives he hopes to fund with a new reserve dedicated specifically to improvements at the park.

Gloria said he directed the city’s Department of Finance to establish this fund, setting aside revenues generated by the park through rents and concessions that would have otherwise been directed to the General Fund.

The mayor added that the city will also begin formally seeking proposals from groups looking to rehabilitate two of the park’s attractions, the 3,600-seat Starlight Bowl and the Village Grill, a takeaway dining kiosk located next to the Spanish Village.

“Many longtime San Diegans have cherished memories of the Starlight Bowl and have wanted to see it restored,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “We are excited to invite proposals that will breathe new life into this iconic venue. Revitalizing the Starlight Bowl not only honors our past but also helps build a more dynamic future for Balboa Park.”

The 89-year-old Starlight Bowl, the amphitheater near the Air and Space Museum, closed 14 years ago after its previous tenant filed for bankruptcy. The Village Grill several years after. The return of both have been teased over the years, but little movement has been made until now.

For the Starlight Bowl, local officials estimate it would need millions of dollars in repairs to get it back open. A nonprofit organization, Save Starlight, has been pushing to raise funds for this purpose for nearly eight years.

It’s unclear exactly how Gloria’s announcement could ultimately play out and how much money is already available to begin making headway on these long-discussed projects.

A recent report from the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, a nonprofit advocacy group in San Diego, pegged the regional gem needed about $300 million to $500 million in improvements to close the gap on deferred maintenance alone.

According to the center, upwards of a $1 billion may be needed to truly update the more than a century old park to a “world-class” attraction.

At least for the Starlight Bowl, Gloria said in his remarks that groups interested in leasing and renovating the venue will have 60 days so submit a bid.

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Steve Stopper, a former audio designer at the Starlight Bowl and CEO of Save Starlight, said the nonprofit has already submitted a proposal to the city to operate the venue, including a number of private donors who are willing to bankroll the millions needed for renovations.

“It was amazing, and it was the place to go,” Stopper said of the venue. “Having been part of this theater when it was open, I saw it go through its demise. I saw what it could be, and that’s why we got involved with the city. We are at a very exciting point.”

Getting it back up and running can help expand accessibility to live performances in the city — something Save Starlight board member Sparks Moeller says is paramount for future generations.

“There is a generation that thinks Pixar is the ultimate,” Moeller said. “They do not understand the suspension of disbelief that comes with a live performance. We can’t lose generations, which we practically have with this being closed down.”

FOX 5/KUSI’s Tony Shin contributed to this report.

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