Encinitas has officially opened a new 44-acre community park. It has taken decades to come to fruition.
The facility ended up costing around $40 million, including the cost of the land, litigation from nearby residents and construction.
The park boasts walking trails and sports fields for soccer, baseball and rugby. It also offers the city’s only skate park, which measures 13,000 square feet.
The idea for the park was born more than two decades ago, and the city bought the land west of Interstate 5 near Birmingham Drive in 2001. Costs of construction rose when the city was forced to deal with contaminated soil. The site was previously a flower nursery.
Encinitas Mayor Kristin Gaspar said all the money and hard work was worth the trouble.
“It was absolutely worth it, the fight was worth it,” Gaspar said. “To be able to stand here today and welcome this great new asset to the city of Encinitas, it was worth the wait.”
Visitors can also use a dog park dedicated to former Encinitas Mayor and Councilwoman Maggie Houlihan. Houlihan was an animal advocate and died in 2011 after a five-year battle with cancer.
The community park is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
