University of San Diego to Celebrate Completion of New Pedestrian Plaza

The University of San Diego will celebrate the completion of Paseo de Colachis, a beautiful new pedestrian plaza, on Tuesday, September 26, at 12:30 p.m. on the west end of campus.

Replacing an existing two-way street, “the plaza has already become an inviting and popular location for the USD community to study, socialize and play,” said USD President James T. Harris. “We are grateful for the generous gift from Kathryn S. Colachis that made this wonderful project possible.”

The 152,000-square-foot project includes three distinct areas, a central lawn, garden, and plaza. Led by the USD Facilities, Planning, Design and Construction team, Paseo de Colachis was designed by local landscape architect KTU+A and built by the construction firm Rudolph and Sletten. 

Construction began in January and was completed prior to the fall semester earlier this month.

 “Our partners did a fantastic job to make our vision for the entire project a reality,” said Assistant Vice President for Facilities Management Melissa Plaskonos. “In keeping with our USD 16^th Century Spanish Renaissance design guidelines, the Paseo includes well-defined pedestrian areas, along with a gracefully placed fountain, patio, garden and study niches.”

 Required access for service and emergency vehicles “were subtly incorporated” into the plaza design, she added. Convenient drop-off areas were included at the west and east ends of the Paseo de Colachis.

Other members of the USD project team include Planning Design and Construction Director Zack Knipe, Project Manager Brian Litchfield, and Executive Director of University Design and Collections Mary Whelan.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.