Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Plaza La Ocho opens in downtown Tijuana

Nice park, but city green space is still lacking (understatement)

The former turnstile at the border entry was repurposed for the park
The former turnstile at the border entry was repurposed for the park

“El Parque de la Ocho is more than just a space for activities, it is also an area to develop values like respect, harmony, and a sense of belonging,” Dr. Jorge Astiazarán, Tijuana’s mayor said publicly during the inauguration of Plaza La Ocho.

The park in downtown Tijuana officially opened on Sunday, April 10th, five years after the demolition of La Comandancia de la Ocho. The old police station, cell blocks, and fire station were built in 1971 and demolished in 2011. Paying tribute to what used to be there, the park was named Plaza de la Ocho and has a police tower (some may find intimidating).

A tribute to the former police headquarters (in background)

Located on 8th street and Avenida Constitución, the park has an area for reading, a children’s playground with modern equipment, an amphitheater that seats 125 people, shaded and green areas, and inlaid water fountains, all crammed into a 37,450-square-foot area.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

Recorrido virtual (walkthrough video of park

The price tag was 15 million pesos (around $850,000). Funding came from the federal government agency PREP (Programa de Recuperación de Espacios Públicos). In addition, they patched surrounding streets and plan to fix other streets downtown.

I have visited the park several times since it opened to the public. Some of the green areas still need to flourish, so as of now, they are brownish areas. The trees that are supposed to be cherry blossoms are just twigs now. Some of the equipment in the children’s area seem to be plastic toys built for light use; it’s doubtful they will survive longer than a year. The amphitheater looks promising for any type of event. The water-fountain area is the most crowded, especially on hot days.

There are two modern structures on each side of the plaza. The one on the south end is a ten-foot-tall sculpture consisting of a wooden grid of squares with steel cables running between them. The second structure is a revolving gate that at first gave me the impression that the park will eventually be gated, but I was wrong.

The "windmill" at night

“The significance is that it is the entry to Latin America,” Roberto Sánchez, the secretary of urban development and ecology, told Uniradio. “If you remember, to enter Mexico from San Ysidro, there was an old rehilete [“windmill” style gate]. We have recovered that original rehilete and placed it on the northeast of the park. It symbolizes the entry of the park and the door to America Latina.”

This is not the first time symbolism of the border has been used in public spaces in Tijuana. Current governor of Baja, “Kiko” Vega, commissioned El Reloj Monumental in 2001. Back then, he was Tijuana’s mayor. The monument looks like an interpretation of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and; when built, it symbolized the new millennium. Many locals also call Tijuana’s arch “the gateway to Latin America.”

Tijuana can be considered one of the worst major cities for public green spaces in Mexico: one article cites less than one square foot per person. In comparison, San Diego reportedly provides over 130 square feet per citizen.

Plaza la Ocho joins Parque Teniente Guerrero, the oldest park in the city, as the second public outdoor space in downtown Tijuana. Both parks are small for a city this big; they tend to be overcrowded. There are two other larger parks in Tijuana: Parque de la Amistad in Otay and Parque Morelos in La Mesa.

A step in the right direction, Plaza La Ocho turned what was an abandoned space and ghost building into a modern park that will be a favorite for families to visit.

Another ghost building just a few blocks away, El Viejo Toreo, has been an abandoned lot since its demolition in 2007 and there are no stated plans for the future. The space is nearly five times the size of Plaza La Ocho.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Jacobs Music Center Grand Opening

The concert did what it was designed to do
Next Article

USD more than doubles student housing in Linda Vista

Adjunct faculty clamors to be included in expansion
The former turnstile at the border entry was repurposed for the park
The former turnstile at the border entry was repurposed for the park

“El Parque de la Ocho is more than just a space for activities, it is also an area to develop values like respect, harmony, and a sense of belonging,” Dr. Jorge Astiazarán, Tijuana’s mayor said publicly during the inauguration of Plaza La Ocho.

The park in downtown Tijuana officially opened on Sunday, April 10th, five years after the demolition of La Comandancia de la Ocho. The old police station, cell blocks, and fire station were built in 1971 and demolished in 2011. Paying tribute to what used to be there, the park was named Plaza de la Ocho and has a police tower (some may find intimidating).

A tribute to the former police headquarters (in background)

Located on 8th street and Avenida Constitución, the park has an area for reading, a children’s playground with modern equipment, an amphitheater that seats 125 people, shaded and green areas, and inlaid water fountains, all crammed into a 37,450-square-foot area.

Sponsored
Sponsored
Video:

Recorrido virtual (walkthrough video of park

The price tag was 15 million pesos (around $850,000). Funding came from the federal government agency PREP (Programa de Recuperación de Espacios Públicos). In addition, they patched surrounding streets and plan to fix other streets downtown.

I have visited the park several times since it opened to the public. Some of the green areas still need to flourish, so as of now, they are brownish areas. The trees that are supposed to be cherry blossoms are just twigs now. Some of the equipment in the children’s area seem to be plastic toys built for light use; it’s doubtful they will survive longer than a year. The amphitheater looks promising for any type of event. The water-fountain area is the most crowded, especially on hot days.

There are two modern structures on each side of the plaza. The one on the south end is a ten-foot-tall sculpture consisting of a wooden grid of squares with steel cables running between them. The second structure is a revolving gate that at first gave me the impression that the park will eventually be gated, but I was wrong.

The "windmill" at night

“The significance is that it is the entry to Latin America,” Roberto Sánchez, the secretary of urban development and ecology, told Uniradio. “If you remember, to enter Mexico from San Ysidro, there was an old rehilete [“windmill” style gate]. We have recovered that original rehilete and placed it on the northeast of the park. It symbolizes the entry of the park and the door to America Latina.”

This is not the first time symbolism of the border has been used in public spaces in Tijuana. Current governor of Baja, “Kiko” Vega, commissioned El Reloj Monumental in 2001. Back then, he was Tijuana’s mayor. The monument looks like an interpretation of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and; when built, it symbolized the new millennium. Many locals also call Tijuana’s arch “the gateway to Latin America.”

Tijuana can be considered one of the worst major cities for public green spaces in Mexico: one article cites less than one square foot per person. In comparison, San Diego reportedly provides over 130 square feet per citizen.

Plaza la Ocho joins Parque Teniente Guerrero, the oldest park in the city, as the second public outdoor space in downtown Tijuana. Both parks are small for a city this big; they tend to be overcrowded. There are two other larger parks in Tijuana: Parque de la Amistad in Otay and Parque Morelos in La Mesa.

A step in the right direction, Plaza La Ocho turned what was an abandoned space and ghost building into a modern park that will be a favorite for families to visit.

Another ghost building just a few blocks away, El Viejo Toreo, has been an abandoned lot since its demolition in 2007 and there are no stated plans for the future. The space is nearly five times the size of Plaza La Ocho.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

A rope course designed to resemble the Giant Dipper at Belmont Part

Maruta Gardner Playground - a parent's playground
Next Article

USD more than doubles student housing in Linda Vista

Adjunct faculty clamors to be included in expansion
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader