City Approves Key Milestone for Major Cultural Center Downtown

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On November 19, the San Diego City Council approved the transfer of property ownership for 1100 Kettner Boulevard in downtown San Diego from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) to University of California San Diego, marking a key milestone in a collaboration that envisions a major cultural center in downtown San Diego.

“UC San Diego’s vision is to be a destination for arts, culture and lifelong education for both the campus and our broader community. Our latest acquisition is in pursuit of this vision and builds upon our world-renowned Stuart Collection, top-ranked programs in the visual and performing arts and multiple venues — including the Mandeville Art Gallery and the Epstein Family Amphitheater — showcasing the best of local and international talent,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “This museum will extend our arts programming to downtown, forge connections between artists across our binational region, and catalyze a thriving arts culture in the heart of the city. By aligning with the city’s creative cultural plan, we aim to make a meaningful impact on the regional arts landscape, supporting artists and nonprofits, increasing access to the arts, fostering a creative economy, and attracting innovators and creatives to our community like a magnet.”

“This new space will present countless opportunities to bring people together through the arts,” said Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Cristina Della Coletta. “At UC San Diego, we have expanded opportunities for arts education and creative collaboration through the Chancellor’s Arts Initiative, known as ArtsConnect. This program is designed to be extended into the community, and the new downtown hub will surely become a thriving connection point.”

The university plans to purchase the property on the Santa Fe Depot stop of the UC San Diego Blue Line trolley and invest significant resources in initial upgrades that would include everything from a seismic retrofit and upgrades to mechanical systems to updating A/V capabilities and making the space fully adaptable for a wide array of programming. With this approval from the city, the university anticipates closing escrow before the end of the year.

“UC San Diego’s acquisition of the Santa Fe Depot building marks an exciting new chapter for this historic site,” said Steve Strauss, Board of Trustees President at MCASD. “We trust that the university will be a good caretaker of the building and MCASD’s iconic site-specific art collection. We are confident that UCSD’s stewardship will continue to enrich our community and further the cultural and educational vitality of San Diego.”

"UC San Diego and MCASD have long been mission-aligned with a deep-rooted commitment to art, artists and community," said Kathryn Kanjo, The David C. Copley Director and CEO at MCASD.  "Like us, they value education and the development of the next generation of artists, arts patrons and a creative workforce.  In addition, UCSD has the ability and capacity to provide long term care for the significant art installed on the site and is committed to providing public access to these works."

This unique space will serve as a counterpoint and balance to other UC San Diego venues including Epstein Family Amphitheater, The Loft, Park & Market and an upcoming art gallery at the Triton Center to be named The Strauss. One goal for the property is to create opportunities and an ecosystem for students and people working in the arts, to keep them in the area. Nonprofit residencies are planned, as well as studio space for individual visual artists. Built-in flexibility will ensure there is room for large-scale events and fully-immersive experiences, as well as more intimate spaces for performance and visual art. In addition to providing space to produce, rehearse and perform, the university plans to support artists with ticketing and other administrative support.

"As a public institution, we aim to serve as a cultural anchor. The operational model we are designing for this beautiful space will offer essential resources that artists and nonprofits need to grow, thrive and sustain themselves," said Colleen Kollar Smith, Executive Director of the Campus Performance and Events Office at UC San Diego. "By building this foundation, we envision a vibrant cultural hub and a dynamic pathway for emerging artists. As a native San Diegan with a career rooted in local nonprofit arts, I’ve seen firsthand the scarcity of adaptable, multidisciplinary arts spaces in our city. A site this large, centrally located and dedicated to arts and culture has the potential to become another regional pride point, and we look forward to sharing it with the community."