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• Watch the construction timelapse video  

Where a garden once stood, park guests can now access a smaller garden area plus a basketball court, two pickleball courts, an off-leash dog area with a drinking fountain made (for both humans and dogs), fitness apparatus with five stations, and benches.

The amenities are located on the northeast corner of Waterfront Park, located at 1600 Pacific Highway in downtown San Diego. New drought-tolerant trees and plants line the perimeter of the 1.25-acre active recreation area to add ambiance, support environmental sustainability measures, and buffer sound from sports activities.

A formal presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. followed by a ribbon-cutting photo shoot. From there, guests can participate in one of two activities:

• County Recreation team-led activities on the basketball court
• Mini introductory pickleball session, sponsored by The HUB Pickleball

“We wanted this space to be appealing to everyone who visits Waterfront Park and who lives in downtown San Diego,” said Albright. “This is a place where you can grab an early morning workout, pick up a basketball game at lunch, challenge friends to a pickleball match in the afternoon, and where you can let your dog off leash to run free while you meet other dog owners.”

Albright added: “We built this area in less than a year and planners worked creatively to fit as many features as they could into a relatively small space. Public feedback helped to shape the design of the park, and soon it will be open for people of all ages to enjoy, free of charge.”

Waterfront Park is an iconic bayfront property surrounding the historic County Administration Center, with an already popular playground, open lawns, works of art and interactive fountains*. This project transformed an underused portion of the park into an area focused on fitness, fun and social connection – with free recreation opportunities to cater to park guests of all ages, abilities and interests.  

Hours will match Waterfront Park hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.) with equipment rentals from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in summer and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., fall through spring. Amenities will be maintained and patrolled by Waterfront Park team members.

The Department would also like to thank Gearbox Sports for their significant donation of pickleball rackets and balls.

*FOUNTAINS UPDATE: The Waterfront Park fountains are currently shut off for maintenance and leak repair. An investigation determined the issue is due to cracking in the drains and in the waterproof materials that line the basin. A repair project started in May; updates will be posted to the Waterfront Park page in late summer.