Mayor Gloria and Federal, State, Local Leaders Celebrate Groundbreaking at Beyer Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 5, 2024

CONTACT:
[email protected]

SAN DIEGO - Mayor Todd Gloria was joined by federal, state and local leaders today to celebrate the start of construction of Beyer Park in San Ysidro. The long-awaited project, which received funding through several sources, including Mayor Gloria's Parks for All of Us initiative, will result in 8 acres of new parkland on an approximately 43-acre site that is currently undeveloped.

"No community is complete without abundant parks. Green spaces are absolutely critical to residents' physical and mental wellbeing, and we owe it to communities like San Ysidro to make sure they have places to exercise, play and relax," Mayor Todd Gloria said. "I am thrilled that we're finally breaking ground on Beyer Park - a park promised to this community decades ago - and grateful to our federal and state partners for helping us get it done."

Joining Mayor Gloria at the groundbreaking today were Rep. Juan Vargas (CA-52), who was instrumental in securing federal funding for the project, as well as City Councilmember Vivian Moreno (District 8), Casa Familiar Executive Director Lisa Cuestas, City staff and community members.

"This groundbreaking at Beyer Park has been a long time coming. I'm so glad that San Ysidro and surrounding communities will soon have access to a brand-new park with a playground area for kids, athletic fields, picnic areas, a dog park, a skate park, walking trails and original local art," said Rep. Juan Vargas. "From nonprofit organizations to the community to officials at every level of government, so many came together with one common goal - to turn the vision for this much-needed park into a reality. I'm proud to have secured federal funding to support this project and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have for generations to come."

"I am excited to see Beyer Park become a reality. The City promised this park to the San Ysidro community exactly 50 years ago this year, and I applaud the City for finally breaking ground on this new recreational space," said Assemblymember David Alvarez. "As I did when I served as the City Councilmember representing San Ysidro, I continue to advocate for more green space in South Bay, and look forward to the day I can visit Beyer Park with my family."

"I'm really excited to see Beyer Park take shape," said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. "It will be a fantastic addition to San Ysidro and greater San Diego, and it's a big step forward expanding outdoor opportunities for local residents. I vividly remember visiting this park site with Mayor Gloria and federal Interior Secretary Deb Haaland in 2021, where we talked about its promise to advance our shared goal of building an outdoors for all. Now, this promise is being realized thanks to an innovative local, state and federal funding partnership. Kudos to Mayor Gloria and all who are bringing this important new park to life."

"Providing the residents of District 8 with equitable amenities for life, such as parks and libraries, is a top priority," said City Councilmember Vivian Moreno. "Since 1974, the community of San Ysidro has been waiting for Beyer Park to become a reality. This historic project will provide San Ysidro residents with picnic areas, walking trails and, the community's first dog park and skate park, amenities that other neighborhoods have enjoyed for decades. This is a park that will impact generations to come."

"Casa Familiar is proud to have supported several climate resiliency elements for Beyer Park. This long-awaited park inspired youth to advocate for the skate park included in Phase 1, as well as much more tree canopy and other higher-efficiency models that promote sustainability and wellness," said Lisa Cuestas, CEO of Casa Familiar.

PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DETAILS

Proposals for a park on this site go back at least 50 years when an unimproved 6.78-acre site was designated for future park development in a 1974 community plan. Both the 1990 and 2016 San Ysidro Community Plans reiterated calls to build Beyer Park.

When the project is complete, Beyer Park will have a variety of amenities to serve the communities of San Ysidro and Otay Mesa. Features at the park will include a children's playground area, ball fields, picnic areas, a dog park, skate park, restrooms, walking trails and public art.

Through the City's Commission for Arts and Culture, artists Ingram Ober and Marisól Rendón created a site-specific art piece for Beyer Park, titled "Air Sanctuary." The artwork consists of a singular ironwood tree that will grow within a sculptural enclosure that relates visually to the growth of the tree and that also creates a dynamic space to contemplate the living processes of a tree. Visitors to the park will be able to watch the tree grow and change with the seasons, with the hope that people will feel a sense of connection to the tree that might inspire future climate activism.

Beyer Park is one of 19 park projects across San Diego that have received funding through Mayor Gloria's Parks for All of Us initiative. Through Parks for All of Us - which provides for a more equitable funding process that helps ensure broader access to safe, clean and thriving park spaces - Beyer Park received $1 million from the Citywide Park Development Impact Fee (DIF) in March 2024.

The project also received an allocation of $2.5 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding in fiscal year 2023, along with $8.5 million in funding from the State of California's Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program.

For Phase 2 of the project, Rep. Vargas helped secure $5 million from the U.S Department of the Interior's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program and $3 million in federal community project funds.

The total project cost is approximately $22.4 million. Construction is expected to be complete in the spring of 2026.

### 

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.