The Second Half of 2018 for the MMRC
by Bruce G. Brown
2017 and the first half of 2018 have been extremely busy for the MMRC. In my Chairman’s report I thought I would give everyone some insight on what lies ahead for the rest of 2018.
The first item of note is how all Recreation Councils have a new and slightly different relationship with the City of San Diego. If we are to address these changes and remain relevant under the new structure, we need to form a fund-raising committee so that we can have cash on hand in our 501(c)3 account to continue to support the Parks and Recreation programs and other community organizations that we have donated too in the past. If you would like to volunteer to be on this committee, please let me know.
We still have many park projects in various stages of completion. We need to stay on top of all of these and push hard until they are completed. Here is a list of those projects and the status of each:
- Phase 2 of the Mira Mesa Community Park expansion – In July of 2018 our FBA received another $17.6 million. We now have the funds to begin the final design and begin construction. Phase 2 may include a new Aquatic Complex, an enhanced and renovated Gil Johnson Recreation Center or a new Recreation Center and a wheel friendly Plaza. The City is currently selecting the contractor and completing the necessary contracts to begin. Hopefully, if all goes well we will begin revisiting the GDP on phase 2 in October or November of this year with construction to start sometime in 2021.
- Maddox/Salk Neighborhood Park expansion – Construction should be on they way in the Spring of 2019 with completion sometime in 2021.
- Wangenheim Joint Use Park/Sport Field – Should start construction in the fall of 2019 with the completion done in late 2021.
- The new 3rd Community Park – we had the first Workshop June 12th.
The consultants will return on August 14th meeting to show us the first draft of the new GDP. At that meeting the consultants will be looking for our comments and suggestions to see if we got the main ideas incorporated from first workshop. They will then take those comments back to make changes and return to the September 11th MMRC meeting for a final vote. If approved they will take the item forward to the Park and Recreation Board for final approval sometime in late 2018 or early 2019. Hopefully if all goes well this new park may be under construction by 2020 or 2021. - In August we were also to hear a presentation on the Sandburg Joint Use Park. This has been postponed until the School District gets more community input. It is still TBD when it will come before the MMRC.