A detail of the planned Manchester Pacific Gateway on the downtown bayfront.

By Papa Doug Manchester

I have spent most of my life in America’s Finest City and have had the wonderful fortune of contributing to downtown San Diego’s beautiful skyline and iconic Bayfront district. Great cities have great downtowns, and over the past several decades San Diego has made tremendous progress in building a downtown culture with the Gaslamp and Little Italy districts, Petco Park and the superstructure that surrounds it, and the ongoing revitalization of our world-class waterfront.

Personally I am proud to have developed the Manchester Hyatt, Marriott, revitalize the “Kiss” statue and help bring the USS Midway to the waterfront. Today, this distinguished aircraft carrier is one of San Diego’s largest destinations attracting 1.4 million visitors a year.

The Downtown San Diego Partnership has stated that our downtown is an incredible asset and economic engine for the entire San Diego Region. Comprising less than one tenth of one percent of the region’s land area, downtown generates 2 percent of the region’s sales tax revenue, 3 percent of the property tax revenue, and a full 28 percent of the region’s transient occupancy tax. These revenues are shared within the region to the benefit of all.

We have also witnessed a strong migration of residents to our downtown district. The San Diego region is expected to grow exponentially over the next 40 years. We’ll need to accommodate an additional 1.3 million residents, 400,000 housing units, and 500,000 jobs—and all of the basic services that come with a growing economy. Much of this growth will occur in the downtown area.

Therefore, the more residential we build, the more talent we attract, and the more companies that move back to downtown San Diego. This yields more opportunity for mixed-use developments, Class A office space, hotels and public open space in which we can truly take advantage of a city in which to live, work and play.

Of course, there is always more work that needs to be done. We need to have the Civic Plaza and Civic Theatre redeveloped, Horton plaza reimagined, and new city council offices 750-feet tall. In addition, Seaport Village is due for redevelopment and the Manchester Pacific Gateway project will help to redefine the city skyline, clean up eight blighted city blocks, and extend the waterfront to the downtown community. This will be iconic and one of San Diego’s largest private real estate redevelopments as far as office, hotel and retail.

My goal as a developer is to have a positive influence on the western waterfront and integrate my vision with the San Diego Port Authority in finalizing the North Embarcadero Visionary Plan, improving public amenities, adding parks, museums, parking, arts and culture. I believe we have the responsibility to ensure that the bay district remains the most beautiful, accessible and enjoyable in the world, and I am humbled and honored to have an integral part of achieving this vision. I look forward to continuing to watch the success and growth of downtown San Diego and what it will evolve to for years to come.

Washington Hand Press

San Diego, CA — Papa Doug Manchester, developer, philanthropist and former publisher of the San Diego Union Tribune, has donated a historic Washington Hand Press to the San Diego History Center. The press and typesetting were acquired by James Copley for its historical value and was displayed for decades at the headquarters of the Copley Press in Mission Valley.

The Samuel Rust-patented Washington Hand Press was introduced in 1829. R. Hoe and Company gained control of his patents in 1835 and continued to manufacturer these presses into the 1900’s. The press, which weighs approximately 2,500 pounds, is identical to the one brought to San Diego in 1851 by John Judson Ames to print the San Diego Herald, San Diego’s first newspaper. It is also identical to the press brought to Old Town San Diego from San Andreas, California, in 1868 by William Jeff Gatewood and Ed Bushyhead to publish their newspaper, The San Diego Union.

The press required two men (a printer and an inker) to operate. Two pages were printed at a time and a good team could print about 175 sheets per hour. Pages one and four were generally printed on Mondays and contained no current news. Pages two and three were printed on Wednesdays and contained local and current news.

“We’re truly honored to accept this wonderful gift from Papa Doug,” said Bill Lawrence, newly-appointed executive director of the San Diego History Center. “The Washington Hand Press is a treasure and very much a part of our region’s history.”

The Washington Hand Press will become a centerpiece in the launch and expansion of the History Center’s permanent exhibit “San Diego: A Place of Promise” at the San Diego History Center located in the heart of Balboa Park.

Papa Doug Manchester stated, “I am honored to donate the press equipment which will be available for the public to view for eternity. It will not only remind us of the past and our history, but also how news and media has shaped and influenced our lives today and what it will become in the future. My goal is for our community to learn more about newspapers, media and the press and their role in our society. Most importantly, I believe it is important to leave something behind for future generations to learn about and enjoy.”

The Press will become part of the museum’s permanent collection with a special acknowledgement to Papa Doug. The exhibit tells the story of how we became the region we are today and offers opportunities for children to come and learn about the history of San Diego; about 18,000 underserved school children K-12 visit the Center each year to view relics that date back to 10,000 BC. The newly expanded exhibit is tentatively scheduled to open in August 2017.