Pepper Park along the National City Bayfront is in the midst of a $6.1 million redesign.

Over the past year, the Port of San Diego has been hosting community workshops to get input from locals on what amenities they’d like to see added to the beloved waterfront space. We’re looking into the possibilities for the shoreline gem on Tidelands Avenue.

Pepper Park is in a prime spot along the bayfront. | Photo via Port of San Diego

✅ Priorities, priorities

The 5.5-acre ark lies within the 60-acre National City Marina District — an area the Port considers one of its key assets. The Port and City of National City want to improve and rebalance land use, so they’ve set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to revamp + expand the park by 2.5 acres.

Upgrades discussed over the past few months include these potential additions:

A splash pad
A wellness + activity center
An expanded playground
New shade structures
More plaza + picnic spaces

More green, open spaces have also been favored by locals chiming in on the workshops.

Is a new playground part of the plan at Pepper Park? It's possible. | Photo via Port of San Diego

🌳 What’s next?

At tomorrow’s in-person workshop from 6-8 p.m., locals will review the Port’s latest concept plan for Pepper Park that combines months of community feedback — and identify priority elements to be added to the park by 2024. Participants will have $2.5 million of the budget to work with for this grand vision.

🗓️ The timeline

According to the Port of San Diego, after this week’s workshop, this should be the progress for the Pepper Park project:

Fall 2023: Construction will begin on the initial priority elements within the current park space
Mid-2024: Initial park improvements to be completed
2025-2029: The Port will determine the funding + timeline for future improvements of Pepper Park — including its expansion

In the meantime, keep up with National City Bayfront developments — and catch up on notes from past workshops (available in Spanish + Tagalog, too).