Port of San Diego Asks Public to Take Pepper Park Design Survey

SAN DIEGO- On May 24, the Port of San Diego announced it is seeking additional feedback on the latest draft design for the National City Bayfront’s Pepper Park. The public is also asked to help decide which new park amenities, like a splash pad, child play improvements, shade structures, and more, should be added to the park.

Thanks to federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the State of California’s Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund, the port has designated $3.85 million toward redesigning Pepper Park and constructing some park improvements. An additional $250,000 from Austal USA, a new shipbuilding facility on the National City Bayfront, has increased the current budget to approximately $4.1 million. The park’s existing 5.19-acre footprint will have improvements made to the project’s first phase. Future phases are expected and would include a 2.5-acre expansion of the park.

This survey is the latest of numerous efforts by the port and KTUA to collect public input. KTUA, a landscape architecture firm with extensive urban park and waterfront design expertise, manages design and outreach closely with the port.

The anticipated timeline for Pepper Park is as follows:

• Fall 2023 – Begin construction of initial priority park improvements within the current park space
• Mid-2024 – Complete initial priority park improvements within the existing park space
• 2025 to 2029 – Funding and a timeline for future enhancements, including park expansion, are to be determined

The plans are subject to environmental review and permitting. Learn more and take the survey at portofsandiego.org/nationalcitybayfront.