Shirley Horton, South Chula Vista Library

At a City Council workshop, one of the poignant moments in the approval process was when Councilmember Jerry Rindone leaned over and whispered to me that he was going to make a motion that the architect had to change the mustard yellow color of the building to white. Jerry knew that I was having a problem with the color because personally yellow is not one of my favorite colors. But the moment he suggested that we tell Mr Legareta to change the color to white, I knew that we needed to put our trust in an architect who was respected worldwide for the use of color in his designs.

With its growing Hispanic population, particularly in southwestern Chula Vista where the library was to be built, the city wanted a design team that would capture the art and culture of the residents of these neighborhoods. After a comprehensive review of architects and design teams, the city selected The Legareta firm, believing that it would best incorporate the feel and spirit of the neighborhood . The Legareta firm is known for its philosophy of designs that make people happy -- not just architecture for architects to admire. They designed more than just buildings because they wanted their buildings to create an atmosphere of intimacy, peace and optimism; an environment that is functional, human and friendly. The signature element of their architecture is the use of color, light, water and mystery to create an emotional response to our senses.

As the mayor, I was thrilled that the city team had selected Ricardo Legareta because of his incredible international credentials and his sensitivities to the community for which he designs. True to his reputation, he designed a building that incorporated all that he is known for. And the rest is history.