The local amphitheater that has become an eyesore for more than a decade may soon once again welcome visitors as the city announced it’s selected “save Starlight’ as a preferred party for lease negotiations. NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada has details.
Save Starlight has been chosen by the city of San Diego as a preferred party for lease negotiations for a portion of the Starlight Bowl facility.
The once-iconic landmark sits in a quiet corner of Balboa Park next to the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
“There are people that are coming here with great memories,” Kerstin Liederberg, a San Diegan who works at the museum, told NBC 7 on Wednesday. "They’ve been coming here with Grandma or Grandpa, and they’re just wondering, 'When do you think this is going to be open?' "
Obscured by decades of neglect and graffiti at the Starlight Bowl are decades of memories — and the hopes of more to come.
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A local nonprofit, Save Starlight, has been pushing preservation for the site for many years, which paid off last week when the city's Economic Development Department sent Save Starlight a letter inviting it to enter into an agreement that would allow them to lease a portion of the facility.
“When you’re walking around, you can see the graffiti on the inside and it’s not the picture of Balboa Park,” park visitor Savanah Jackson told NBC 7.
The lease offer states the focus of discussions are for the upper areas of the site, which include the concessions building. The city specified it as the area between the upper concourse and the facade of the building.
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NBC 7 asked the city for specifics regarding a lease that would include the bowl itself, but spokeswoman Tara Lewis did not respond to that question, specifying instead that the lease that might be negotiated with Save Starlight would be exclusively for the upper concourse and concessions building.
People NBC 7 spoke with on Wednesday all said they looked forward to the day they can enjoy the Starlight Bowl.
“We enjoy supporting local musicians — local artists — so it would be cool to see the local talent in a town that we’re not familiar with,” Alicia Tran said.
“I would love to, because I’ve heard so many good things about it," Liedberg said. "This has been one of the joys in the park."
NBC 7 reached out to Save Starlight for comment and is waiting to hear back.
Meanwhile, the city shared a statement that stated, in part, “The historic Starlight Bowl is a treasure for Balboa Park and the city. We look forward to entering exclusive negotiation agreement with Save Starlight, who has shown passion for bringing activation to this site."
