After more than a decade of planning, missed deadlines and a whole lot of construction fencing, East Village Green in downtown San Diego is finally starting to look like a real park. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the landscaping and the new recreation building, and city officials say the first phase is on track to open this fall. When the gates come down, the park is set to deliver a full-block lawn, an amphitheater, playgrounds, off-leash dog areas and what will be the city's first downtown community center.
City Deputy Director Brian Schoenfisch recently walked the site with reporters and called East Village Green downtown's largest park, pointing out that the 14th Street Promenade Greenway can be closed off for festivals. According to 10News, Schoenfisch said the park is meant to give people a reason to come back downtown and noted that crews are putting the final touches on the site. The station also reports that the Phase 1 investment is about $84 million and that the project has weathered multiple delays along the way.
What’s inside the new park
Phase 1 will cover roughly 2.1 acres and includes a 14,200-square-foot, two-story community center that comes with a gym, a demonstration kitchen and meeting rooms. There is an event lawn, an 8,500-square-foot playground with a splash pad, two off-leash dog areas, a performance pavilion, public restrooms with an attendant booth and a two-level, 185-space underground parking garage, as outlined by the project's design team at OJB Landscape Architecture.
A pricey, complicated build
The city and project managers say the cost and complexity of building underground parking and a two-story recreation center have stretched both timelines and budgets. City materials show that the Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations Committee approved a compensation-agreement amendment this spring that shifts parking-fund dollars into CIP S16012 to help close funding gaps, according to the City of San Diego. Local reporting has put the Phase 1 appropriation at about $83.9 million after recent adjustments, per Homes4YouSD.
How the city plans to staff and manage the space
To address concerns about encampments and safety, the city says East Village Green will be staffed with a downtown-dedicated park ranger, on-site maintenance crews, recreation staff and contracted security. Schoenfisch told 10News that having staff on the ground and regular programming will be central to keeping the park active. That staffing pledge follows resident worries about how some privately run downtown parks have been managed in the past, with coverage of Fault Line Park raising flags about maintenance and safety, per the Times of San Diego.
When to visit
Crews are finishing the landscaping and other public-facing spaces now, and the East Village Green website offers a live camera so neighbors can watch the progress in real time. The city lists this fall as the target for opening the first phase, according to the City of San Diego. Visitors can keep an eye on East Village Green and city updates for the latest schedule details and announcements about opening events.
