By SDCN Staff
San Diego, CA–In partnership with Civic San Diego, the City of San Diego continues construction work on the highly anticipated East Village Green Park and expects to open it by the end of this year.
Once finished, the park aims to attract people to live, visit and play Downtown.
“As more people choose to live Downtown, and visitors from around the world come to explore our beautiful city, the need for park space in this community continues to grow,” said Andy Field, Parks and Recreation Department Director. “East Village Green will provide a place to get outdoors, participate in a variety of special events, exercise, play, and gather with a host of amenities. We can’t wait for the community to ‘find their happy space’ at this park.”
The park comprises 2.1 acres, with the largest portion bounded by 13th, F, 14th, and G streets. This section will help bring the area to life with a two-story community center, a central lawn area, a children’s playground with an interactive water feature, a game and reading area, and public restrooms with an attendant booth.
A smaller area is located at the northeast corner of 14th and G streets and will provide an off-leash dog park for small and large dogs. Another portion of the park is along the south side of F Street between 14th and 15th streets and houses the relocation of two historic buildings.
Construction crews are also finishing the park’s new 185-space parking garage, and the City is currently seeking a contractor to operate and maintain the facility. The parking garage has two underground levels and is expected to be used by park visitors and monthly users, as well as night, weekend, and special event parking. Interested qualified contractors can visit PlanetBids to submit their proposals. Proposals must be submitted by March 31.
“Parks like East Village Green not only provide community members a destination to connect and play, but they are essential for a downtown economy and revitalization effort,” said Economic Development Director Christina Bibler. “Parks encourage a sense of place, attract leisure, and enhance the community’s quality of life, not to mention increase the value to the neighborhood.”
The park is part of a larger effort to create more green space and places for community events in Downtown. A key component of East Village Green will be the extension of the 14th Street Greenway through the park. Once completed, the Greenway will run 11 city blocks, from C Street to Commercial Street, and feature passive and active recreation activities, children’s discovery areas, local art displays, and play areas. The blocks between L and K Streets and G and Market are already complete and feature historical artifacts and greenery.
“East Village Green embodies our vision of Downtown Parks and Public Spaces in San Diego. We want to invite everyone to explore Downtown through new open spaces and a more vibrant, active urban core,” said Development Services Department Deputy Director and Urban Innovation Division lead Brian Schoenfisch.
The park’s funding came from a handful of downtown-specific funds and a San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) grant.
Planning for this project has been in the works since 2004 when it was first envisioned. This was followed by a community-driven design process, which resulted in the City Council’s approval of the park’s General Development Plan in 2015. Since then, residents have been awaiting the park’s opening as it has gone through the design, permitting, and construction process.
