San Diego is one step — one small step — closer to finally beginning redevelopment of its Civic Center compound.
During a press conference light on specifics, the city of San Diego and the San Diego Community College District announced a memorandum of understanding Monday to begin exploring a revitalization of Golden Hall. It’s the first move in a multi-phase process to breathe new life into the four-block area.
The plan outlined by city, education and philanthropic leaders would turn the aging convention center inside the Civic Center compound into a “modern educational and cultural center.” Golden Hall has filled a range of purposes in its lifetime, including as a hive of activity on election night, but most recently it has served as a homeless shelter.
“This space has adapted to meet the needs of San Diegans over multiple decades,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “It’s also a reminder that we can do more to use underutilized city spaces for the benefit of our communities.”
But the announcement — which included representatives from the Downtown San Diego Partnership and Prebys Foundation — did not include any specifics on the eventual redevelopment. The size of the project, what it might cost, who would pay for it and how it would be managed are still unknown. Signing the MOU allows the players to begin making those decisions.
“Today’s MOU signing is an important step forward,” said district board president Geysil Arroyo. “It signals a shared commitment by the city of San Diego and the district to explore what is possible when public institutions work together in the public interest.”
The city tried and failed to redevelop the Civic Center three years ago, when developers largely ignored the city’s request for bids to take the project on. The Prebys Foundation and Downtown Partnership took on the challenge, pushing a vision that started with an “education and culture hub” to replace Golden Hall.
Leaders touted a new era of cooperation in San Diego, energized by Grant Oliphant, CEO of the billion-dollar Prebys Foundation. The foundation has pushed for a reinvented civic center in recent years.
Chancellor Gregory Smith and Mayor Todd Gloria sign an MOU to redevelop Golden Hall on Monday, May 11, 2026. (Photo by Drew Sitton)“This to me already, even though we have a long way to go in terms of reinventing that first building, is a tribute to what San Diego can make happen when we apply ourselves to solving a problem together,” Oliphant said of the MOU.
The idea of a hub for art, education and culture grew out of community conversations, Oliphant said. The community college district signed on, with Chancellor Gregory Smith joining Gloria in signing the agreement Monday.
“We’re excited to reach this milestone where we transition from talking about vision to doing the due diligence into how we can make that vision a reality,” Smith said.
The proposed space would include classrooms, performance spaces, other public-servicing facilities and a museum. Most notably, the proposed educational space would house the Mesa College World Art Collection.
The community college has one of the largest collections of any educational institution in the west, second to UCLA’s Fowler Museum. The new museum space would open access to the primarily African art pieces to the public. Mesa College’s president Ashanti Hands described the collection as a hidden treasure in San Diego.
“What is so inspiring about this moment is the opportunity to bring nearly 50-year-old campus treasures to transform downtown San Diego,” Hands said. “We are honored to anchor this incredible project.”
Betsy Brennan, who leads the Downtown Partnership, said when the Civic Center was built in 1963, leaders had big plans to make it an activated heart of San Diego that extended to the bayfront. But parts of their plans fell through, Brennan said, partially due to squabbling between local leaders.
The San Diego Concourse with Golden Hall at Left. (File photo courtesy of the city of San Diego)“That vision never was realized,” Brennan said. “We’re going to realize it so much better than they ever thought in 1963, with this leadership.”
Gloria said the project will eventually come to a vote before the city council with multiple opportunities for public input before then.
“The next step in this process is going to be focused on feasibility, understanding what is possible and what it will take to get there,” he said.
The community college district will study the feasibility, with planning support from the Prebys Foundation and Downtown Partnership, for the next six months before the plan goes to the council.
Council president Joe LaCava and councilmember Stephen Whitburn, who represents downtown, were present to show support for the project.
“Today’s action is the next step in a coordinated, near- and long-term vision shared by government, higher education and philanthropy,” LaCava said. “A vision to improve downtown and revitalize the city core.”
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