Forever Balboa Park CEO Katy McDonald Chats About Keeping Our Cherished Public Land ‘For the People’

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Balboa Park has been in the white-hot spotlight over the past several months for good and bad reasons.

On the positive side, the park’s historic 1914 Botanical Building showed off an exquisite $26.5 million renovation in December after being closed for nearly three years. Then in early April, a spirited gathering took place adjacent to the building for the unveiling of a new pergola that has been recreated with historic architectural detail.

Intense media coverage, however, has especially pointed to the ongoing battle between San Diegans and local government over the implementation of parking meters that went up in and around the park in early January.

Because the topic of Balboa Park’s future is dominating many local discussions, we reached out to Katy McDonald, the CEO of Forever Balboa Park, to get an understanding of the organization’s role in securing the future of the park, and to learn about some of the exciting plans that are in the pipeline.

Note: McDonald was previously chief of staff at the San Diego Symphony. During that time she played a pivotal role in the creation of the Rady Shell in downtown’s Marina District. She also previously ran the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Colorado College, and was recently honored by Mayor Todd Gloria as a “Woman of Distinction.”

Downtown Condo Guys: What is the primary mission of Forever Balboa Park? And who runs it?

McDonald: Our main role is to organize the care and resources for Balboa Park’s long-term planning and sustainability. We are a non-profit organization in partnership with the City of San Diego. We have a board of directors, about 20 paid staff, and nearly 450 volunteers. You will see those volunteers within the park every day wearing their green shirts. The park would not look as beautiful as it does without them.

Downtown Condo Guys: How is the organization funded? And where is it headquartered?

McDonald: Our funding comes from committed San Diegans, foundations and families. We are based in the House of Hospitality, which we manage for the city.

Downtown Condo Guys: How long have you been the organization’s CEO?

McDonald: I started in November of 2024 after working 10 years for the San Diego Symphony as its chief of staff. I grew up here and have always loved Balboa Park. I was attracted to this job because the park is one of our city’s most important assets for residents and visitors.

Downtown Condo Guys: Name some of the projects Forever Balboa Park has carried out?

McDonald: We had worked with the city to help raise money for the restoration of the Botanical Building and helped in the hiring of the project’s structural designers. And we are just completing a $10 million campaign that helped fund the new pergola next to the Botanical Building and nine gardens surrounding it. We will be adding another pergola in the Rose Garden by the end of this year.

Also, we mulch, we weed, we plant trees, and we monitor the health of plants across the park’s 1,200 acres. That includes those in the cactus and rose gardens. And we staff the Balboa Park Visitors Center and the Botanical Building. We basically enhance the work of the city’s baseline maintenance. Our organization takes it from there by doing what the city can’t do because of limited time and resources.

Downtown Condo Guys: Has Forever Balboa Park taken a stand either way regarding paid parking in and around the park?

McDonald: Yes. We have come out and formally opposed the current implementation of paid parking.

Downtown Condo Guys: Have the revenues from paid parking so far generated tangible additional funds to the park’s operating budget?

McDonald: It’s a very complicated question. The parking revenues are going into a general Balboa Park fund started by the city. But all that it is going to do is decrease the amount of money the city allocates from its general fund into the park. So net, net—there is no additional money coming into the park yet.

Downtown Condo Guys: What are some of Balboa Park’s best-preserved, untouched features?

McDonald: We have 68 miles of walking, hiking and running trails. And the oldest features would be the buildings that were created for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. That included the Botanical Building, which is why getting it ready for the next 100 years was such an important project.

Downtown Condo Guys: We are hearing talk about a birthday party planned for the park. Tell us about that.

McDonald: Yes, it is a new event as of this year. We will hold it on May 26 in celebration of when the city leadership in 1868 designated the land to what is now known as Balboa Park. We’ll have a community clean-up on that day and a celebration of some kind. Details are still in the works and will be posted on our website.

Downtown Condo Guys: What changes, if any, do you feel are needed in the park over the next 10 years?

McDonald: The park deserves a multi-faceted financing strategy that will assure that it remains the beloved asset that it is.

Downtown Condo Guys: Name three things about Balboa Park that even some locals may not know.

McDonald: 1.) The park’s carousel was designed as an adult attraction in 1915. It’s a very fast, speedy ride. At the time it wasn’t really tailored for kids. 2.) There were only four buildings from the 1915 Panama-California Exposition that were meant to be permanent. They were the California Tower, the Botanical Building, the Organ Pavilion and the Laurel Street Bridge. But a lot more buildings from back then continue to be used today to house our best cultural institutions. 3.) Our newly reconstructed Botanical Building is one of the few open-air botanical buildings in the world. It demonstrates that we can grow plants from anywhere in our Mediterranean climate.