Looking Ahead
“Window on the Bay” Undevelopment to Bring Dramatic Changes to Waterfront Area
More waterfront park space is being added to our “Window on the Bay” along Del Monte Avenue, which will provide for future recreational opportunities.
Also known as Monterey Bay Park, the area expanded by two parcels this past year and other properties may soon become available for conversion to open space (undevelopment).
The City’s priority vision for this area is well illustrated by the two photos at right. “The Challenge” (top) shows Window on the Bay as photographed last year. “The Vision” is a computer-enhanced photo that shows the landscaped park areas and roadway improvements as projected for the area.
Additionally, this waterfront park may have more opportunities for growth at the west end near Wharf II. The City will consider expanding the park project area to include the parcels at the head of Wharf II, currently owned by the Catellus Development Corporation. These large parcels would greatly increase the area of the waterfront park and provide additional opportunities for recreational activities.

Renovations, Proposed Expansion Help Meet Recreational Needs For People of All Ages
As recreational needs continue to grow, renovation and/or expansion of existing City facilities is sometimes necessary. Two examples are the Monterey Senior Center and the Monterey Sports Center.
To help meet the needs of our Seniors, renovation and expansion of the Senior Center at Dickman and Lighthouse avenues begins this fall. More activity and program options will be available once the interior is improved and an additional 1,600-square-feet is added.
The Center will be closed for about six months and is scheduled to reopen next spring. Until then, activities are being held at Hilltop Park Center, 871 Jessie Street.
For the Monterey Sports Center, we have drafted preliminary designs and development proposals for expansion to meet demands for additional equipment and space. This year we will be completing the final proposed design which includes providing a much larger cardiovascular room, a larger weight room, fitness testing rooms, additional locker space and a larger multi-purpose room.
Once the design for this project is completed, we will concentrate on raising funds to facilitate construction.
Look for your opportunity to contribute. Find out more in upcoming editions of City Focus and in updates in the local media.

Discussion to Improve Civic Center Underway
Mary Ann Finocchi, president of Old Town Neighborhood Association, may have said it best: “We need a central place to do business with the City.”
What might a “central” cohesive Civic Center look like? To find out, the City is developing a Civic Center Master Plan addressing the office space needs of our City staff and community.
Much of our office space is located in small buildings that were not originally designed to serve as offices or to house our current number of employees. They provide little room for storage of files or plans. Other buildings were built as temporary portables, and the cost to maintain such buildings continues to grow.
An improved Civic Center would locate related City services in one building, so community members could make “one stop” and take care of City business more quickly.
As envisioned, the Civic Center would provide even better customer service and would require fewer funds for staffing upkeep and maintenance.
Highlights of the plan call for constructing a new two-story administrative office building and expanding El Cuartel, home of the Police Department. The new building, proposed to be located at the corner of Madison and Van Buren streets, would house many services including planning, building safety and inspection, engineering and traffic as well as finance and revenue.
The Master Plan will identify immediate and long-term costs and the time needed to accomplish these goals. You can participate in the process. Look for opportunities to review the Plan and give us your opinion and input.

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