Jury Award Lets Horton Heirs Rest a Little Easier

SAN DIEGO-A jury here has awarded $1.5 million to the heirs of city forefather Alonzo Erastus Horton, essentially saying that the city gypped the heirs by taking 13 small lots in the bustling Gaslamp District through its powers of eminent domain.

The Centre City Development Corp., the city’s redevelopment arm, had originally offered each of the Horton heirs $100 for their ownership interests in the land. When they balked at the price, the city exercised its eminent domain powers and seized the property.

The Gaslamp District is the San Diego equivalent of New York’s Times Square. It’s loaded with always-busy restaurants and bars and is anchored by the wildly successful Horton Plaza shopping center.