Mission Plaza is born
February 28, 2009 – 7:35 pm
November 1968
Mission Plaza is now seen as the centerpiece of downtown, the community patio for our local celebrations.
It was not always so.
The 1968 election that brought us Richard Nixon also brought us Mission Plaza.
As a new shopping center on Madonna Road prepared to open, downtown business owners were uneasy. What would happen to the downtown if traffic were disrupted? Could the city afford to convert the road?
Former mayor Ken Schwartz and George Andre former city attorney squared off in support of closing Monterey Street, against the then mayor Clell Whelchel who favored widening the road.
The debate was spirited but the voters took what could have been a confusing ballot measure and voted more than 2-1 for the Plaza.
To Whelchel’s credit, though he was disappointed with the result he said he would carry out the will of the voters.
The Nixon thing didn’t work out too well but the Mission Plaza was one of the great legacies of 1968.
***
In an unrelated ballot measure Cuesta College failed for the second time in 8 months to rally support for a property tax increase to support expanding the junior college out of the wooden World War II buildings on Camp San Luis Obispo. The north and south county were the most skeptical of the idea. The measure would have boosted property taxes 30 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
Cuesta president Merlin Eisenbise said he believes “some state level relief” for the taxpayers may be necessary before the junior college can ever get enough votes to build a new campus.
Cuesta eventually got funding but the first rumblings of discontent that lead to the seismic funding shift of Proposition 13 can be heard here.
10 Responses to “Mission Plaza is born”
My very first Ferris Wheel ride was during La Fiesta, when the Mission celebration was actually held at the Mission. Right on Monterey Street between the Mission steps, and the old wooden garages. I believe that was about when my Mother became very involved with La Fiesta (Ferris wheel ride, not 1968). That was also about the time I was invited to go up the bell tower and watch the bellringer toll out a wedding……..I think my ears are still ringing.
By SSG David Medzyk on Mar 2, 2009
Oh, because Hogans Heroes was very popular on TV, my oldest brother Drew used to call it “Stalag Cuesta” when he attended there, due to the use of Camp SLO buildings at the time
By SSG David Medzyk on Mar 2, 2009
Two of my most vivid memories of the old (original) Cuesta Campus. 1) Nodding off during an English class on a warm fall afternoon in the fall of 1966 in one of the old flat roof buildings in the southeast corner of the camps (All long gone now). After nearly bouncing my head on the desk, I raised my head up and focused my eyes and there was a cow staring back at me through the window.
2)After several days of particularly heavy rain, I was parked in the south parking lot eating my brown bag lunch when a young woman drove up and parked nearby near the edge of the drainage channel between the road and the quagmire that passed for the parking lot. She got out of the car, and as she walked away, I saw her car begin to move ever so slowly, and then gathering speed, it slid nose first into the ditch. At the time, I found this sufficiently amusing that milk was coming out of my nose.
Joe Dunlap
By Joe Dunlap on Mar 2, 2009
A correction. The flat roof buildings were in the SouthWEST corner of the campus. Also, that parking lot was known to have devoured more than a few shoes and boots when it got good and muddy. Might make an intersting archeological dig someday, LOL.
By Joe Dunlap on Mar 2, 2009
I’m so glad that the move to create Mission Plaza passed. It’s the perfect location for street fairs, summer concerts and Santa’s house.
I can’t imagine people parking their cars smack dab in front of beautiful Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.
By Sarah on Mar 3, 2009
Sarah, it wasn’t a parking garage, but a working garage alongside Monterey Street and across from the Mission. Mission plaza is built atop the old street that used to “dogleg” between Chorro and Broad. That is why the Chorro entrance is not directly in line with Monterey.
By SSG David Medzyk on Mar 3, 2009
I was in SLO to honor&celebrate my older sister,Jacque, who passed away on 2/27. By chance a complimentary Tribune was delivered on Sunday to the George Andre “family home”where one of his grandson’s now resides.
As George Andre’s youngest daughter, I was so pleased to see my father’s efforts to create the Mission Plaza acknowledged.
It was truly a long shot that I would be in SLO & read the Tribune on that particular day. I just had to comment and this is my first visit to a “blog”
Sheila Andre Lunny
By Sheila Lunny on Mar 9, 2009
Thanks for the compliment and comment Sheila. Hope to see you here again. Please feel free to comments. Often the readers add detail and stories that give an extra dimension to the blog post.
By David Middlecamp on Mar 10, 2009
I tell people that is was “my” idea to close Monterey Street and have walkways along the creek and to enjoy outdoor dining. Many tourists would come to see the mission, but there was nothing else interesting to do, so they just got in their cars and traveled on. The whole project turned out wonderfully, no matter whose “idea” it was !
By Dorothy Sundbye on Jul 8, 2010