Within the next few weeks, a large arch welcoming visitors to downtown Escondido will be erected over Grand Avenue at Centre City Parkway.

On Tuesday, the bulk of the arch was transported to the site and this week two segments will be lifted by crane into position. Next week, the center part of the arch will be added, officials said. And weather permitting, an electrical feed will be installed and the structure will be complete by March 6.

An unveiling and celebration is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 12, assuming all goes according to schedule. Local high school bands, mariachis, ballet folklorico and other entertainment will delight the crowds before the arch lighting ceremony at dusk.

The arch will tower 40 feet over Grand Avenue and span 108 feet. At times during construction, part or all of Grand Avenue between Orange Street and Centre City Parkway will be shut down.


Backers say “The Giving Arch” will mark an iconic entrance to downtown Escondido incorporating thematic architecture and community identification signage with both an east and west exposure. (Artistic rendition courtesy of the Escondido Charitable Foundation)

A single anonymous donor gave the Escondido Community Foundation $1 million in 2018 and it was the consensus of the foundation’s board to use it for an arch, an idea that came about a year earlier as the city was preparing its Grand Avenue Enhancement Program and applying for a grant. The community foundation used to be called the Escondido Charitable Foundation.

The “Giving Arch” is a gift from the foundation to the city, officials said. It is believed to be the only arch of its type in the county paid for completely with donated funds.

“The concept of an arch, a community giving arch, an arch to charity, was conceived to express confidence in the community and to encourage the continued history of local charitable giving,” Foundation member Ken Lounsbery told the City Council a year ago.


The arch design incorporates the dome above City Hall and has the word “Escondido” written across its banner. It will be lit at night and will look the same from both directions. The dome part of the sign is expected to arrive on site next Tuesday.

The “Giving Arch” will soon tower over Grand Avenue at Center City Parkway in Escondido. Final installation of the privately-funded welcoming arch is expected in early March. (J. Harry Jones/San Diego Union-Tribune)

Originally it was hoped the arch would be built by last summer, but Lounsbery said Tuesday that construction, permitting and electrical delays kept pushing the date back.

The arch is big. Words don’t do the size justice. Even the supporting poles are massive. Work on those began in early January.


It cost about $850,000 to build and another $150,000 to design.

The Escondido Charitable Foundation is an affiliate of The San Diego Foundation and is “committed to meeting emerging needs in Escondido by encouraging and increasing effective and responsible philanthropy to benefit all who live, work and play in the community,” according to the foundation’s website.

