Normal Street in San Diego’s Hillcrest community may not look so normal in the next few years.
Business and community leaders have hammered out a plan to cut the road down the middle and turn one half of it into a signature urban plaza near the Hillcrest Pride Flag.
The proposed plan will narrow Normal Street from a two-lane road to a one-lane road. The space would be used for bike and walking paths, rest and open spaces, seating areas, and even places for visitors to learn about the history of the area.
The new Normal Street vision erases the current parking spots on the South side of the road. However, KTUA architect Mike Singleton said the final version creates 80 new parking spots.
“We knew that there was a lot of potential out on that street,” said Singleton. “It was meant to be a major boulevard so that’s why the size of it’s there, but the design treatments of that boulevard are not there.”
The Hillcrest Business Association will unveil those plans to the public Thursday during the Re-Imagine Normal Street event. 10News was given a sneak peak at a rough draft Friday.
The City of San Diego and the San Diego Association of Governments still have to approve the Normal Street design. Then business and community leaders will need to find the funds to pay for construction. Singleton estimated it would cost less than $2 million.
