Members of the Southcrest community joined Civic San Diego (“CivicSD”) President Reese A. Jarrett, City of San Diego District 9 Councilmember Georgette Gómez, City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department Assistant Director, Andy Field, Chair of the Southcrest Trails Recreation Council, Felicia Harris, and Owner & President of DMI Construction, Glen Bullock at the Southcrest Trails Neighborhood Park groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, March 13, 2017.
“This 2.6-acre park will provide residents a wonderful opportunity to experience a beautiful and safe community, and a place to recreate and commune with their families and neighbors,” said CivicSD President Reese A. Jarrett. “CivicSD is pleased to announce the beginning of construction of this greatly anticipated neighborhood park.”
The approximate $3 million project is being funded with a State of California Urban Greening Grant and Southcrest Redevelopment Tax Increment Bond Funds, and is anticipated to be complete in early 2018. The park is located east of Interstate 15 and north of I-5 and will include security lighting, children’s play areas, exercise trails with exercise stations, gazebos, picnic areas with barbecues, drinking fountains, a basketball court, skate park, an amphitheater, as well as two acres of drought tolerant native trees and plants.
“There’s not a word for the way I’m feeling today,” said Southcrest resident Eva Vargas, “it is great to finally see this park moving closer to closure for this community. From the community’s stand point, this park was always meant for families, to include both parents, adults, and most of all our children. Yes, this is exciting because seniors will now have a place to walk, talk, rest and interact with their peers, parents, and children.”
“We look forward to being able to manage and operate this park on the community’s behalf,” said City of San Diego Park & Recreation Department Assistant Director, Andy Field. “In part of our village making we cannot forget to thank Civic San Diego for the outstanding job that they have done, and to recognize our Recreation Council Chair Felicia Harris who is a volunteer who has come out here to do a wonderful thing by representing the community and telling us what the community wants to have happen, so we are excited to continue working with her.”
As the community-based approval board for the Southcrest Trails Neighborhood Park Felicia Harris Chair of the Southcrest Trails Recreation Council, kept her comments at the groundbreaking ceremony short and sweet stating “I am very happy because this has been a long time coming.”
The San Diego-based artist team of Ingram Ober and Marisól Rendón-Ober, was awarded the public art commission for the project by the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, and are creating a site-specific artwork for the 37th Street entrance to the park. “Ingram Ober and Marisol Rendon-Ober’s artwork demonstrates an innovative way to welcome the community to explore and connect with the park,” said Christine E. Jones, Senior Public Art Manager, Commission for Arts and Culture. “The artwork, which takes the form of a plaza with imagery and text collected from residents, will not only enliven the visual quality of the park but will create a heightened sense of place and serve as reflection of the Southcrest community.”
CivicSD will oversee Southcrest Trails Neighborhood Park construction until its completion.
Last modified: March 28, 2022