Heading Downtown: Celebrating Diversity, Art, Education and Engagement

Excitement is brewing across the region about UC San Diego’s investment to establish a major presence in the heart of the city. The university’s forthcoming center at the corner of Park Boulevard and Market Street positions it to become a major contributor to the burgeoning education and arts corridor stretching from the Central Library to City College.

The new center’s mission is to engage diverse communities throughout the region and on both sides of the international border in a wide array of research, teaching, and civic and community activities. Its open architecture and inviting design will serve as a destination for myriad arts, education, and economic development organizations to engage with UC San Diego students and faculty and to sponsor events.

UC San Diego Extension is leading the programming and financing for the new center. When open in 2021, it will feature custom-designed facilities for the performing and visual arts, and a large foyer where campus and community artists can exhibit their work.

The center will offer cinema programs, outdoor concerts, and a public bar and grill, in the interest of—as Dean of UC San Diego Extension Mary Walshok puts it—“nourishing the body as well as the soul.”

“No matter where you live in the region, no matter what your personal background, no matter what your stage of life, there is a place for you at UC San Diego,” says Walshok. “Our chancellor, Dr. Pradeep Khosla, is deeply committed to opening multiple front doors to the university. His goal is to make the La Jolla campus a destination for visitors and families as well as students. The new UC San Diego center will serve as a first stop on that journey. Located on the Blue Line trolley, which begins at the Tijuana border and ends at UTC near the La Jolla campus, this center will be a destination for community education and engagement, with continuous interaction and synergies between the city and the university. Watch for more updates.”  



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