By Ana Gomez Salcido
With the idea of revitalizing the Coronado Bridge for its 50th anniversary in 2019, an artistic lighting project is underway. This project also just received a $300,000 donation for funding from port tenant BAE Systems.
Bob Koerber, BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair Vice President and General Manager, presented the $300,000 check at the regular meeting of the Board of Port Commissioners held this Tuesday, August 9.
“We take great pride in being a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor,” Koerber said. “We are pleased to participate with the Port in the artistic lighting of the iconic San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. We look forward to the completion of this project for the enjoyment of residents and visitors alike.”
The proposed project would illuminate the bridge by providing artistic nighttime illumination of the external structural and architectural features of the bridge. The light installation would involve mounting energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures to the piers, structure and parapets.
The idea of illuminating the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge with an artist-designed lighting scheme originated with the Port Public Art Committee’s quest in 2006 to identify a potential signature artwork for the San Diego Bay region. The Port held a design competition and in 2010 the board approved the selection of an international design team led by London-based artist Peter Fink to develop an artistic lighting design for illuminating the bridge.
The bridge is under the California Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction. In 2011, the Port formed a Memorandum of Understanding to memorialize the common goal of lighting the bridge.
The money to artistically light the bridge would come from a future fundraising effort not from the general funds of the Port or Caltrans under the terms of the MOU. In 2012, the Board approved a funding strategy for seeking donations for this proposed project and a special non-endowment fund was established at The San Diego Foundation to receive charitable donations.
Marshall Merrifield, Port of San Diego Chairman, explained that the first of four phases of the artistic lighting project for the San Diego-Coronado Bridge started in 2006 and were already finished. But in order to continue with phase two, there is a need to meet an already established goal of $750,000 set by the approved plan back in 2006. The total amount raised to date, including the new BAE contribution, is approximately $455,000.
“This contribution from BAE Systems was combined with a recent contribution from the development team of BRIC on the Lane Field site, both Port of San Diego tenants, to get us started on the design and engineering needed to implement the project. The Port’s goal is to light the bridge by its 50th anniversary in 2019,” Merrifield said. “Lighting the iconic San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge will add inspiration and beauty to the region’s landscape.”
Merrifield mentioned that the complete project cost is estimated at $8,000,000.
At Tuesday’s meeting there were also two different requests to include Coronado and Barrio Logan in the project. Linda Schmidt, Deputy Chief of Staff for San Diego City Councilmember David Alvarez office, made the request to include Barrio Logan.
Schmidt mentioned that the art murals located on the San Diego-Coronado bridge pillars should be considered because of their recognition as a state historic site.