State Assemblymember Matt Haney does not represent downtown San Diego — not even close. He represents District 17, right in the heart of San Francisco. But he was in San Diego Wednesday to get a first-hand look at how this downtown’s recovery is progressing post-pandemic.
As chair of the legislature’s Select Committee on Downtown Recovery, Haney is on a tour of downtown areas across the state.
The Downtown San Diego Partnership took the assemblymember on a tour of one square-block of downtown's core.
There were a couple of stops along the way, including Symphony Hall at the Jacobs Music Center, where Haney heard about a downtown success story: the renovation of Symphony Hall.
“We’ve got to give people a reason to come downtown. We’ve got to make sure they feel safe, that they know that they have a place that they can park. And what we’re hearing here is that San Diego has a lot of examples where that’s working right now, and I think the symphony is one of them," Haney said.
The tour continued along C Street, with a stop at Resident Brewery, where owner Marty Ochs had suggestions for Haney about what the state could do to help downtown businesses.
“Find that fair balance of 'you’re going to give us something, you asked for something and we have to prove that we did it,'" Ochs said.
Along the way, Haney saw that downtown San Diego faces the same challenges as other downtowns; getting unsheltered folks off the street, dealing with mental health challenges in that population. Afterward, he said he learned a lot.
“San Diego has a lot to share in terms of how to bring a downtown back with tourism and hospitality and events. But all of that is not enough unless we also address the other big things that need to happen. Making it easier to build housing, making sure it’s clean and safe, and addressing homelessness," Haney said.
From the Downtown Partnership, there was appreciation for Haney’s visit.
“To be able to have state investment, not just from our local assembly members, but from assembly members up and down the state, to have him understand that perspective was really critical for us as we move forward for success here in downtown," said Partnership executive Josh Coyne.
Assemblymember Haney still has a couple more downtowns to visit before he returns to Sacramento for the next legislative session that begins in January. He says he’ll take what he’s learned from these visits to allow the state to better help downtowns, or in some cases get out of the way so California’s city centers can reach their full potential.
