Construction is underway on the long-awaited Beyer Park in San Ysidro, following a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday with elected officials.
The eight-acre park is scheduled to be completed by spring 2026 on a 43-acre undeveloped site in the international border-adjacent neighborhood.
"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 on Thursday. "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."
Phase 1 of the project is receiving funding through several sources, including $1 million from the Citywide Park Development Impact Fee in March 2024 -- part of Mayor Todd Gloria's Parks for All of Us initiative. The project also received an allocation of $2.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding in fiscal year 2023, along with $8.5 million in funding from the state's Park Development and Community Revitalization Grant Program.
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"This groundbreaking at Beyer Park has been a long time coming," said Rep. Juan Vargas at the groundbreaking. "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.
"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."
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San Ysidro residents have waited decades for a park in the location, with an unimproved 6.78-acre site 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 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. "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."
When complete, the park will have a children's playground area, ball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a dog park, skate park, walking trails and public art, according to city documents.
Through San Diego's Commission for Arts and Culture, artists Ingram Ober and Marisol Rendón created an 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 charismatic space to contemplate the living processes of a tree," a city statement reads.
Visitors to the park will be able to watch the tree grow and change with the seasons.
"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."
For Phase 2 of the project, the federal government in 2022 gave a $5 million grant from a program that aims to create more green space and outdoor recreation options in underserved areas. The total project cost is around $22.4 million.
"Providing the residents of District 8 with equitable amenities for life, such as parks and libraries, is a top priority," said City Councilwoman Vivian Moreno. "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."
