The Morning Report
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Good day. I’m Steve Cushman, one of seven commissioners on the Board of Port Commissioners, which sets policy for the San Diego Unified Port District. 
Recently, you may have read the proposals for making San Diego’s “front porch” a parkland oasis. As the commissioner who chairs the Port’s Maritime Advisory Committee, I feel strongly about some aspects of that vision.
I don’t believe you’ll find anyone in the region who would disagree with making the waterfront pretty and inviting. But we need to ask ourselves this: What are the consequences of throwing away years of planning and stopping the projects that are about to be built in order to spend enough time to understand and come to a consensus on this new idea that doesn’t have any funding?
I am not against grand visions. The port knows all about them. For the last 10 years, the port has been working with the Centre City Development Corporation and the city of San Diego on the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan. The waterfront will be transformed from parking spots to open spaces and gathering places. The first phase is just about to be built and the financing will come from CCDC and the development team chosen by the port to redevelop the former Lane Field site.
I look forward to this conversation with you today.