Developers’ Plan Moves Ahead : City Extends Talks on Plunge Restoration Proposal

The developers who propose to transform the historic Mission Beach Plunge into a park and a tourist-oriented shopping village cleared another hurdle Tuesday when the San Diego City Council voted to continue exclusive negotiations with the firm for 18 more months.

Apparently anxious to begin the restoration and redevelopment of the deteriorating area that includes the roller coaster, pool and roller-skating rink on Mission Beach, the council voted 7-1 to continue exclusive negotiations with architect Paul Thoryk and partner Graham MacHutchin. Thoryk and MacHutchin had also received exclusive rights to design plans for the park last year.

During this period of negotiations, the city manager and the developers will outline specific conditions for the plan, including traffic problems and financing. On May 15, the council approved the plan that includes demolishing the outer walls of The Plunge building and the Roller Rink building, and replacing them with more modern commercial areas and miniature lagoons. The Olympic-sized pool in The Plunge building would remain.

Councilman Mike Gotch, who has endorsed the proposal from the beginning, said the Thoryk-MacHutchin plan “preserves the essence of the beachfront park.”

“I think the project is a good one, and I think it should be moving on,” he said.

In dissent, however, was Councilman Bill Cleator, who said he would prefer a plan that would just restore and preserve all the 60-year-old buildings.

“I have a problem with doing anything other than preserving what the original structures were,” said Cleator.

Also opposing the plan to demolish the buildings was Ron Buckley, secretary for the City’s Historical Site Board, who suggested that the city require that Thoryk-MacHutchin preserve The Plunge and Roller Rink buildings as well as the roller coaster. Both buildings are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, he said.

Critical of the council’s decision to allow Thoryk-MacHutchin exclusive rights was developer Edward C. Malone, who once had bid on the project but says he is no longer interested.

“You are being told that you can’t restore the buildings and retain enough retail space. That’s a bunch of baloney,” Malone said. “There are people out there who might do it differently; let’s give them a try.”