Euclid Tower

orchid

The Euclid Tower is one of the most visible structures within the community of City Heights. The ornamental Tower stands 80 feet tall and sits atop a two-story commercial structure that was originally built in 1932 as a drive-in soda fountain. The Tower, along with the Egyptian Garage and Silverado Ballroom marked the end of the streetcar line along University and Euclid Avenues. The structures were built in an effort to provide employment during the Great Depression. The original white facade was replaced with bright colors and geometric designs to reflect the ethnic diversity of City Heights, as part of a community driven public art project in 1995. In 1999, the Tower section began leaning dangerously and was torn down for safety reasons. Restoration of the Tower was of particular importance to the community, who believed it would positively affect the neighborhood character.

When the Redevelopment Agency became involved in the restoration of the Tower, a joint public meeting of the City Heights Redevelopment Project Area Committee and the City Heights Planning Area Committee was convened to discuss the façade of the Tower. Community members recommended restoring the Tower with the colorful public art facade. In May 2007, the Redevelopment Agency approved funding for the Tower restoration.

Stanford Sign & Awning completed the Tower restoration in March 2009 based on the design by Richard Bundy of Architects Richard Bundy & David Thompson. The restored Tower is constructed of lightweight aluminum cladding on steel I-beams—which are lighter than the original materials—ensuring a long life for the new Tower structure. The restored Tower has become a focal point within the City Heights community and has renewed interest in the historic rehabilitation of the adjacent Silverado Ballroom and Egyptian Garage.

Project Information
Project Address: 
4757 University Ave. at Euclid Avenue
Project Owner/ Developer: 
Thai Duc Thanh and Trieu Huong
Owner Contact Name/ Email: 
No e-mail, Phone 619-410-1335 (no English, Vietnmese only)
Project Architect/ Designer: 
Architects Bundy Thompson
Image
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Comments:

I love this Tower!

I remember this tower before it was removed and have missed it over the years. During the restoration process I would watch the workers for hours and enjoyed every minute. You must see this Tower early morning or late evening sunset. As the community changes, it is good to know that character of the community remains in it's art, food and determination of it's residents. This structure is a perfect representation of a people and a time and place, it is past and present and forever. This is City Heights, colorful, diverse and always reaching for higher heights!

orchid

I agree that it is an orchid. Hurray for the restoration and returning the tower to its glory.

City Heights Tower

The Tower is a unifiying endeavor of many residents hard work and love for the community they live in. History withstanding, the tower now represents the good and vital part of a community long forgotten. It is a visual display of not where San Diego trolley lines use to end but where the proud beginning of a community re-named City Heights.Congratulations on the nomination.

An Orchid for Euclid Tower

The Euclid Tower represents everything that an orchid award winner should. It is a bright spot in City Heights and a symbol of pride for the residents.

Euclid Tower

The recent restoration of the Euclid Tower has positively improved the character of the City Heights community. I am very grateful to have a significant display of public art within a community that lacks art or green features.

I concur with this nomination!!

This is a restoration of a historically significant building plus the art work. The Euclid Tower is a well-known landmark in the City Heights community. Designed to resemble New York's Empire State Building, the Tower was erected in 1932, soaring 110 feet over the surrounding community. By the 1990's, both the neighborhood and the Tower had changed dramatically. A community-based art project led to a colorful and complex redecoration of the Tower that reflected the multicultural make-up of the surrounding community. The project received an Orchid Award in 1995. By 1999, however, the structure had become so unstable that the Tower itself was demolished, leaving only the base structure. When the City Heights Redevelopment Project Area Committee became involved in the Tower's resoration, the community overwhelmingly preferred a new Tower that incorporated the 1990's color scheme designed by Mark Messenger, Christina Montuori and Cynthia Bechtel. The Tower's two-story base structure is part of the original Tower building and currently houses two business tenants. The property owner and the tenants have been involved with the restoration project. Richard Bundy of Architects Richard Bundy & David Thompson did the design.

The Euclid Tower has colorful tiles done by local children

I am glad to be a part of the City Heights PAC Board that approved the $100,000+ that was needed to rebuild the tower and that included the colorful colors. I am so glad that the tiles that local children decorated remain a part of the decor of the Tower. It would be wonderful if the original ice cream and soda shop remained in the bottom of the instead of a bar. Let's continue involving youth and children in local community art projects that beautify our communities in San Diego and in the world.