Construction is underway on the long-awaited Beyer Park in San Ysidro, following a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday.
The eight-acre park is scheduled to be completed by spring 2026 on a 43-acre undeveloped site.
“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.
Phase 1 of the project is being funded through several sources, including the Citywide Park Development Impact Fee, part of Gloria’s Parks for All of Us initiative. For Phase 2, the federal government in 2022 offered a $5 million grant from a program that aims to create more green space and outdoor recreation options in underserved areas.
In addition to $1 million from the city impact fee, the project also received an allocation of $2.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding, along with $8.5 million from the state’s Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program.
The total project cost is around $22.4 million. City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno called Beyer Park an “historic project” that will provide San Ysidro residents with “amenities that other neighborhoods have enjoyed for decades.”
San Ysidro residents have waited decades for a park in the location, since a 6.78-acre site was designated for future park development in a 1974 community plan.
“This groundbreaking at Beyer Park has been a long time coming,” said Rep. Juan Vargas, a former City Council member whose district included the community, at the groundbreaking. “… 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.”
Both the 1990 and 2016 San Ysidro Community plans reiterated calls to build Beyer Park along East Beyer Boulevard.
“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 Assemblyman David Alvarez.
When complete, the park will have a playground, ball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a dog park, skate park, trails and public art, according to city documents.
Through San Diego’s Commission for Arts and Culture, artists Ingram Ober and Marisol Rendón created a piece for Beyer Park, titled “Air Sanctuary,” with an ironwood tree.
– City News Service
