HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-04-19; Parks & Recreation Commission; 404-8; Alan Uke/North County Balboa Park ConceptAB# 404-8
MTG. DATE: 04-19-04
STAFF: BEVERLY
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
INFO TITLE: -
ALAN UKE/NORTH COUNTY
BALBOA PARK CONCEPT
ACTION
After review and discussion of Commissioner Hubbard’s presentation take appropriate action.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
Commissioner Hubbard has requested to discuss the potential for a North County Balboa Park
concept as introduced by Alan Uke in a newspaper article (exhibit 1).
At this time, little is known by staff regarding this effort. Commissioner Hubbard will take the lead
in presenting this item for discussion.
EXHIBITS:
1. News Article - Alan Uke
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.c~i provincialism here ., can seem like the
, st culdesac sometimes,” vaugh, who was born here id has worked in newspapers and public relations for more than 20 years. “But Alan rises above that, thinks be yond that And he has this remarkable inabiity to take no for an answer.”
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The Midway is here, but not all the ~uhy
tc rcc hurdles have been cleared. A huge one - money to maintain the ship and operate the museum - looms.l Uke is talking now about raising
$30 million to $50 million. “It will be hard,” he said, “but we’ll get it done.” Skeptics wonder if the museum, now slated to open in June, will draw enough visitors to stay afloat Organiz- ers say they expect about 440,OoO per year, a number that has dwindled over time. In ear.& press accounts, Uke talked about attrading 750.000. He said he believes the huseum will draw more than enough people not on- ly to survive, but thrive. But he knows only time will answer the question.
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For now, there is plenty else to keep -
He has his family, his company, and , his charities. He has a 94-yearald houseinDelMarthatalwaysseemsto QA i-r have a project or two awaiting attention. . He has a collection of hundreds of corkscrews (the engineer in him is fascinated by designs dating to the
16OOs), and he has a 1997 Carrera convertible (the fourth Porsche he’s owned). There are favorite sciencefic-
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tion movies to watch and history books to read. But those passions don’t figure to be enough. Alan Uke is an inventor. He and his wife were driving home from somewhere the other day. He turned and said, “what should I work
Retelling the story, she laughed. ‘I don’t think the Midway is the end for him.” He said he’s already sunk $50,0oO of C W
his own money into prelimhary work
on what he hopes will bgome a second ,LWW~ Balboa Park, in North County He’s in- terested in working on a roadway sign, * a combmtion “stop” and uyield,” that ’ f Gt - he thinks would ease traffic congestion.‘ p “I see these everyday things and ,*a I’m aiways thinking there’s got to be a better way,” he said. “It‘s not a matter of asking why we should do some
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3- s:Ws thing. It% asking, Why not?” EXH181T 1