Central Hillcrest (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)
Community Planning, Hillcrest

Hillcrest Grand Plan

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

While it may seem like it’s taking forever for the historic Botanical Building and

The winds of change may soon start blowing throughout Hillcrest under the City of San Diego’s first set of sweeping housing and development strategies aimed at shaping the neighborhood’s future.

Known as Plan Hillcrest, the goal is to stimulate business within the 92103 zip code while adding focus to the neighborhood’s LGBT culture and history through signage, public art and new building projects.

That section of the draft intends to inform every resident who moves into new apartments or condos that they are settling into a “nightlife neighborhood.” The clause would ideally be stated in leases as well as on signs posted in lobbies of housing developments as fair warning of the noise generated by popular LGBTQ bars and nighclubs such as Rich’s, Flicks, Gossip Grill, Number One on Fifth, and The Brass Rail.

In other amendments of the ongoing plan, which initially came about last year by the city’s planning commission, objectives pertaining to conservation, urban design, additional public spaces, improved transportation and historic preservation are all on the drawing board and remain under current discussion for eventual implementation.

One of the top desired outcomes among many Hillcrest residents is that the plan will make it easier to reach neighboring communities such as North Park, Balboa Park, and Downtown through additional transportation services.