HILLCREST — The Hillcrest community may be thinking it’s just getting a bike lane and park, but the Normal Street Promenade cannily hides a piece of vital, yet not very sexy, infrastructure.
“We’ve been calling it a bike lane project and a promenade project, but by far the most work has been the storm drains,” said Brittany Bailey, government affairs and grant manager for the mayor’s office.
When the project is done, “Lake Hillcrest” will be no more. Apparently, Hillcrest’s 100-year-old storm drains were not connected to the rest of the system and the intersection near Normal Street and University Avenue flooded when it rained. In addition to linking Hillcrest to the rest of the stormwater system, builders expanded the diameter of those storm drains inlets to improve water flow.
And though for nearly two years, progress on the promenade project was hard to track, now it is visible on the future Pride Plaza.
Surface-level building will take less time than the changes underground, according to the contractor, Griffith Company. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)Construction contractor Griffith Company has planted 98 trees, installed structures for light and shade, and added concrete seating, in addition to the time-consuming underground work.
“It definitely takes a lot longer to do the underground than the surface improvements,” said Brad Olson, an area manager for Griffith Company. “But it’s important for the overall longevity of the project that water drains properly and everything is built correctly.”
The city, SANDAG and Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) this week provided a tour of the worksite. They explained the final design elements needing completion before Hillcrest’s first park opens to the public, possibly by the end of the year.
Here are the design details that stood out in the tour.
Rainbow bike lane
Despite being one of the most prominent talking points during the build, the rainbow bike lane is one of the last things to do. After all, it will become the first rainbow bike lane in North America and the second-longest rainbow bike lane in the entire world. The other one is in Utrecht, Netherlands.
“Low bar,” Bailey said. “But for now we’ll take it.”
Chris Brown, superintendent of Griffith Company, leads a tour of the construction site at Normal Street Promenade. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)Bailey pointed out a few thoughtful aspects of the bike lane. It is at grade, meaning it lies flat in the plaza and promenade it cuts through, so it is convertible for big events. A lowered bike lane could be a tripping hazard for pedestrians, a concern because the promenade will be a frequent gathering space, for everything from weekly farmers markets to large community gatherings.
But making the bike lane flush with walkways posed new problems – and forced the team to come up with innovative solutions.
Designers consulted with a school for the blind and visually impaired in Northern California on how to differentiate the texture of the ground between the promenade and lane. As a solution, a strip of textured metal borders the edge of the bike lane.
“There is no standard for this,” Bailey said. “There are so many things that we had to invent for this project; there’s a lot of thought that went into it.”
Light poles and bollards
Hillcrest Business Association executive director Benjamin Nicholls explains the features in the custom light poles. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)The custom light poles dotting the promenade contain many extra features. Those include stanchions to hold Hillcrest-themed banners, flower baskets so high up they will be a challenge to water, hooks to hold string lights, and also speakers so music and other audio can be pumped throughout the park.
The shorter “smart” bollards have special features of their own. In addition to lights, they have a feature that will improve the look of the park without most people noticing: outlets.
Chris Brown, a superintendent with the Griffith Company, explained that this will be especially helpful during farmers markets so vendors can plug in without using masses of extension cords or running generators. The addition, he said, will make the space “look a lot cleaner.”
Restored trolley car
Brittany Bailey explains how MTS donated an historic trolley for Normal Street Promenade. (Video by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)One of the the most logistically challenging aspects of the build occurred because of a cute idea to run a concession stand out of an historic trolley car. MTS donated the original 1940s car after a plan to use it in the Silver Line fell through.
At 38,000 pounds, the car required a specially-reinforced concrete pad as a base. That pad, which is ADA-accessible with ramps, will require a large crane to install.
Plus, the city made it safe to walk in and able to accommodate a kitchen. It will have a vintage look.
“It’ll be restored to the original San Diego colors. Unfortunate to say, that is avocado green,” Bailey said. “But it will look very historic.”
Bathrooms — but only sometimes
Normal Street Promenade has an interesting funding structure. The city’s contributions came from parking district funds and street meter revenues. SANDAG paid for a large portion of it due to the rainbow lane becoming part of the regional bike network.
But once done, it’s on the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) to maintain and run the space. HBA executive director Benjamin Nicholls estimates it will cost half a million dollars per year.
There was no funding to build public bathrooms, however. Portable restrooms in a trailer will frequently be available, but as a built-in cost for those hosting on-site events.
Shade
Some 15-year-old oaks survived construction, but the new trees won’t provide shade until they are much more mature. In the meantime, planners made keeping the promenade from becoming a heat island a priority since so much of it is concrete and metal “hardscape.”
Criss-crossing bars hung between poles make up a few shade structures. Each of those structures offer space for slightly different purposes, such as a round area for seating or another that is perfect for games like cornhole. Rows of seating are available to face an outdoor movie screen.
Nicholls called the spaces “little places … you can activate.”
The best shade will be in the fenced-in children’s playground. The canopy above the area does not have holes and Bailey said that lowers the temperature by 10 degrees for those beneath it.
Seating
The tour of the Normal Street Promenade on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 below the Pride flag in Hillcrest. (Photo by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)Planners, in an attempt to address concerns about homelessness, have long chosen benches for public places with dividers, slanted edges and more deterrents to prevent people from lying down in public spaces.
Hostile architecture frequently dominates public places in San Diego. Normal Street Promenade embraces an opposing philosophy, offering multiple open seating areas.
This type of architecture has become so normalized, it is almost shocking to see the amount of seating at the promenade. Seat walls surround many trees. There are concrete risers in other spots. Though they lack cushions, they will certainly provide rest for the weary.
New model
The concrete-heavy landscape is modeled after North Park Mini Park and Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy, both of which attract daily visitors, but can be converted to accommodate large events.
Yet, based on the desire to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, Normal Street Promenade has unique elements as well.
Construction workers finish the lithomosaic at Pride Promenade. (Video courtesy Brittany Bailey)The rainbow mosaic below the Pride flag may become a popular wedding venue. Events there will be cheaper because organizers will not have to pull traffic permits and have San Diego police block the road like before.
That’s due to a new traffic configuration. Most of the project is located on what was two lanes of traffic on Normal Street. When Normal once again opens for cars, it will be only in two lanes total. Pedestrian walkways will be shorter. In addition, unlike most bike projects, the promenade includes over 50 new parking spots.
Brittany Bailey explains that unlike most bike projects, this one brings more parking to Hillcrest. (Video by Adrian Childress/Times of San Diego)Bailey believes the promenade plan – using under-utilized vehicle lanes to expand public infrastructure – may become a model for other city projects. That’s because the city can’t afford to buy new properties, she said. Plus, the housing crisis means new units are often prioritized on empty lots, not libraries, parks and recreation centers.
So when the opportunity comes up to create a shared community space, it’s precious.
“This is a gathering spot. This is a public space. We want people to be able to sit down, hang out, have a nice time,” Bailey said.
Hence then, the article about lights shade and an avocado green trolley car a peek at the design of hillcrest s normal street promenade was published today ( ) and is available on Times of San Diego ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Lights, shade and an avocado green trolley car: A peek at the design of Hillcrest’s Normal Street Promenade )
Also on site :