Downtown Dreamin’ inspires new possibilities for downtown’s Civic Center

The Downtown San Diego Partnership hopes a one-day festival can help the community reimagine what’s possible at the historically overlooked Civic Center, as officials prepare to kickstart a massive redevelopment plan.

Civic Center Plaza will be transformed into a lively community space on Thursday for the second annual Downtown Dreamin’: Spaces Reimagined.

The event, in part a fundraiser, with tickets starting at $150, serves as a launching point for the Downtown Partnership Public Spaces Foundation’s newest project: Plaza Central.

The year-long project will activate Civic Center Plaza into a lunchtime hub, open to all, with shaded seating, live music and food vendors every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Discussions to improve City Hall facilities and revitalize the surrounding Civic Center area have been ongoing for decades.

Despite touting the need for revitalization in 2022, Mayor Todd Gloria ultimately walked away from the project in 2024 following developer and budget issues.

However, the Downtown Partnership has been able to make gradual progress by contracting the Prebys Foundation and U3 Advisors to oversee and help fund the efforts. 

Now, city leaders have slowly reinvested their time into the project.

Mayor Gloria, as well as Councilmembers Stephen Whitburn and Joe LaCava, will speak at Thursday’s ribbon-cutting, which will kick off both the Downtown Dreamin’ pop-up event and Plaza Central.

Downtown Dreamin’ functions as a proof point for Plaza Central, showing how the Civic Center can be a space for creativity, fun and community.

“This year, hosting at the Civic Center Plaza, being right outside of City Hall, I think it’s just a really great opportunity for us to transform this space and to really show what can be done in a central place like the Plaza — as it’s one of San Diego’s most recognizable public spaces,” said Kathryn Newstead, director of events for the Downtown Partnership.

Downtown Dreamin’ attendees can enjoy local food and arts vendors, live music, bar service, and tours of the newly-renovated Civic Theatre.

Since Downtown Dreamin’ takes place during work hours, attendees will be provided with a co-working space, complete with furniture, WiFi and in-and-out privileges.

Making community part of weekly routines

Newstead hopes that Downtown Dreamin’ and Plaza Central will encourage downtown workers and residents to make finding community a part of their routines.

“For me personally, I’m always looking for a space to get out of the office and to get out in the sunshine, either eat lunch or just take a break from the day,” Newstead said. “So we’re hoping that we can provide a fun and safe and exciting place for people to be able to take a break from their day and enjoy a public space with other members of their community, colleagues, and have this become more a space [that’s] utilized in a more fun way.”

However, improved work-life balance isn’t the only thing the Downtown Partnership Public
Spaces Foundation hopes to achieve through its projects.

“We’re hoping, a year from now, that we’re able to not only just provide a space for those who work in the surrounding buildings close to the plaza, [but we’re] hoping to expand this further into the downtown community, residents, people just in the local community in general, that can use this area as a central hub for community and some of the exciting things we have planned,” Newstead said.

A portion of Downtown Dreamin’ ticket proceeds will go towards the Public Spaces Foundation.

For more information about the event and to purchase tickets, visit Downtown Dreamin’ online.