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The Mystery Behind the Benches at 8th and Orange Revealed

Why are there so many benches at the corner of 8th and Orange?

If you go to the corner of Orange Avenue and 8th Street, you will find a well-manicured plaza, over 15 benches and a large AT&T stamp on a building with few windows (vents) and doors. It turns out that this building is the AT&T Switch Center which houses all the switches and equipment to keep AT&T phone and internet lines operable. In 2008, the old SBC building was expanded to this location that includes cable rack, lights, copper based services, including DSL and HiCaps, a main distributing frame, fiber distributing frame, power equipment, transport equipment, collocation cages.

We noticed an AT&T van parked nearby and asked the technician if there were any offices or people that worked in the building and he replied that occasionally technicians will go inside to service the center and make adjustments/repairs, but that it does not contain any offices. He also noted that before AT&T was given the 'go' to start construction, they had to agree to create a plaza area that 'fit into Coronado's look and feel' and prevented the center from standing out too much. It looks like they accomplished that requirement.

We have yet to see someone enjoying one of the many benches in the plaza, but it certainly looks a like a cozy place to read a book, or enjoy your lunch.

Tags: business

1 member likes this

Comment by Helen Nichols Murphy (Battleson) on August 5, 2011 at 9:12am: When I was in high school (CHS), one of my friends Nancy McClelland (who is on Facebook now) worked there after school when it was the old Bell elephone office. I think she retired from them, many years later! This is a huge improvement to the little building on the corner of 8th & Orange...

Comment by Jonathan Burns on August 5, 2011 at 9:15am: I have witnessed this long drawn project for over the last 10 or so years as a resident growing up in this part of town.

The American Telephone & Telegraph Inc or AT&T (not ATT&T) which as you said used to be SBC, and prior to that was PACBELL. During PACBELL the structure was originally a giant yellow building eyesore on the corner of 8th and orange. It was then renovated and shrunk down a notch and prettified and eventually it was completely rebuilt in steps (including demolishing the properties between the police stain, it's building, and expanded upon horizontally to what it is now.)

Comment by eCoronado on August 5, 2011 at 10:17am: Thanks Jonathan - the typo was corrected. Thanks for your input and perspective.

Comment by NANCY MC CLELLAN BARRERA-HALLING on August 5, 2011 at 10:30am: Helen....you're right....I started, what turned out to be my carerr here in 1959 along with Madeleine Vosburgh and Donna Vosburgh Dempsey......Wouldh've loved that little patio then. Looks fabulous!

Comment by Anne Sels on August 8, 2011 at 12:08am: If you go back some 30 years you may remember when Bell acquired the neighboring homes by eminent domain so it seems fitting that the city require that any excess land be given back to the citizens and not sold off for profit.