Coronado Rotary Plaza

Coronado Rotary Plaza is located in the City of Coronado at the intersection of Orange Avenue, Isabella Avenue and Park Place. The convergence of the three streets within the heart of the City's downtown village area created a setting for conflicts between cars and pedestrians. The plaza, which had been in the planning stage for 10 years, had two primary goals:
1. Provide safe and convenient passage for pedestrians traveling along Orange Avenue.
2. Create a public plaza space that would be attractive to residents and visitors and a source of pride for the community.
The existing site was 2,200 square feet in size and the setting for the City's 100 foot landmark Norfolk Island Pine tree. The tree is significant in the fact that it is decorated every year during the holiday season with Christmas lights. Furthermore, a flower vendor was located at the small site making for a crowded walking/gathering space at times. The new design expanded the original small site four times to 8,800 square feet. The expansion also fostered a new design for vehicular movement within the busy and confusing intersection. The new plaza design incorporated a larger public plaza space with a location for the flower vendor, water feature, generous seating and tables and a space for the relocated Rotary Club clock. A small lawn area is also part of the design program for lunchtime lounging and a hospitable footprint for the existing Cook Pine tree.
Coronado Rotary Plaza was officially completed in December of 2009. The total project cost was 1.3 million dollars. The project is successful in that it has accomplished the two original goals and is now a visual landmark in the City. Parterre, landscape architects, is the designer for the plaza space and assisted the City in numerous design workshops with the community.