$3.8M Mission Bay Park opens with elaborate playground for kids and elliptical machines for adults

SAN DIEGO-

Closed for 16 months, the Tecolote Shores North playground in Mission Bay Park reopened on Saturday after a $3.8 million upgrade with modern playgrounds for kids, a variety of fitness equipment for adults and practical improvements to accommodate park goers and people with disabilities.

The launch of the redesigned San Diego City attraction, designed by local firm Schmidt Design Group, was commemorated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Mayor Todd Gloria and Councilwoman Jennifer Campbell.

“From the new playground to the fitness equipment, it’s wonderful. Children are everywhere. It’s a good sign. When the kids like it, we’ve done a good job,” Gloria said. “My commitment to you is to continue investing in neighborhood infrastructure. We are an amazing city. We have a wonderful quality of life. But it only gets better when we have high quality infrastructure.

Just south of Mission Bay Resort in East Mission Bay, Tecolote Shores North had been closed for construction since July 2021. The new park replaces a large area of ​​sand with outdated equipment. On Saturday, locals and tourists alike discovered a 34,000 square foot kite-themed playground with equipment for people of all ages and abilities.

Children’s playgrounds offer standard fare like rope ladders, swings, and slides, but with modern touches. There are also swivel seats, obstacle zones and sensory toys. The adult section includes outdoor elliptical machines, pull-up bars, monkey bars, parallel bars, and a climbing rope. An adjacent area with several loose lines is intended to entertain risk takers while preventing enthusiasts from tying straps to trees.

Additional park improvements include improved landscaping and irrigation, security lighting, an updated bathroom, an ADA-compliant trail, and a remodeled parking lot.

The improvements were funded by the Mission Bay Park Improvement Fund, which was created by a 2008 ballot initiative and amended by Measure J in 2016. The fund receives a portion of rental income from Mission Bay Park tenants, including including SeaWorld, hotels and restaurants.

“This has created a multi-million dollar program for Mission Bay Park, and this multi-million dollar program has resulted in several projects to improve a variety of deferred maintenance issues in Mission Bay Park, particularly with respect to playgrounds, paved parking lots, accessibility improvements and bathroom upgrades,” said Andy Field, who is the director of the San Diego Parks Department.

With Tecolote Shores North completed, the city is turning its attention to Tecolote Shores South. Work is expected to begin in the coming weeks and be completed in May 2023. The total cost for the two phases is $8.38 million, the city said.