Hoover Park is officially trading its worn-out gear for a full-blown facelift, as Redwood City kicked off a long-planned renovation with a ceremonial groundbreaking yesterday. The roughly $11 million overhaul shifts the park from demolition into full construction, with plans to swap out decades-old equipment and roll in a splash pad, multiple playgrounds, pickleball and fitness courts, a turf volleyball court and a fenced dog play area. Demolition and site prep began in January 2026, and the city is aiming to wrap up major construction by January 2027. The park sits next to Hoover Community School at Spring Street and Woodside Road.
As the San Mateo Daily Journal reported, Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos framed the project as a quality-of-life upgrade, saying, "Parks matter because they are where community happens." A crowd of city staff, councilmembers and regional partners turned out for the event, including City Manager Patrick Heisinger and Angelo Tom from HUD. The gathering unfolded under sunny skies at the newly cleared site, where the old park footprint has already been peeled back for construction.
Project details
According to the City of Redwood City, the Hoover Park master plan centers on a larger water-play zone with a recirculating splash pad and reconfigured playgrounds designed to serve a broader age range. The redesign also folds in new picnic and gathering areas, updated pathways and surfacing, and improved access from Spring and Hilton streets. Those features came out of community outreach and surveys in 2023 that helped lock in the preferred layout and amenities.
Funding and timeline
The renovation carries a roughly $11 million price tag, with about $4.6 million coming from Community Development Block Grant dollars and approximately $6.4 million covered by the city, according to the San Mateo Daily Journal. The paper notes that CDBG funding stems from the 2022 sale of 1306 Main St. With crews already active on site, the city says construction will run through January 2027, with the revamped park reopening in phases as sections are finished.
How it got built
The project went out to bid in September 2025, and the construction contract was awarded to Azul Works, Inc., with the City Council signing off on the award on Nov. 10, 2025, according to city meeting records. City documents tie the contract to a mix of funding that includes CDBG money, local capital outlay and park impact fees, and show construction authorization in the neighborhood of $9.49 million for the approved scope. A contractor kickoff followed in December 2025, and crews moved into on-site work in January 2026.
Neighbors' reaction
Councilmember Isabella Chu has called the renovation a pivotal investment for the surrounding neighborhood, noting that Hoover’s fields and open spaces see daily use by families and youth sports teams. Local organizers and park advocates say the upgrades are expected to bolster after-school programming, recreational leagues and community events, while also making it easier for people of all abilities to navigate the park.
Residents can follow construction phases, closures and reopening dates through the city’s Hoover Park project page, which includes the master plan, design renderings and regular updates. City officials say they expect key areas such as the playgrounds and water play zone to reopen in stages as crews push toward the construction end date in January 2027.
