CHULA VISTA, Calif. – The city of Chula Vista discussed the future of the restored Harborside Park on Tuesday night, nearly two years after it was closed, and part of the plans for its future is a compact soccer field.
There has been much discussion about Harborside Park since it closed in 2022, but with the approval of a resolution to enter into a grant agreement with the support of the U.S. Soccer Foundation, South Bay now has a clearer picture of what plans will be in place for a grand reopening in the fall.
“My biggest concern is safety,” Leticia Lalas, a mother who has lived in Chula Vista for 18 years, said of Harborside Park, a park once known for its homeless population and high crime that is currently under construction.
“The homeless camp took place during the pandemic, so no one was using the parks,” Lalas said, “but now that the parks are reopening, we're going to be using the parks.”
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a new addition to Harborside: a mini soccer field funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Soccer Foundation and a donation from local professional soccer player Paul Arriola.
“We're very excited that he wants to come back and specifically improve the quality of life for football in Chula Vista,” Mayor John McCann said.
The city will pay $160,000 to prepare the field, while grant funding will provide up to $100,000 to help bring the rendering to fruition.
“It's part of our culture and it's something that's very much needed,” Lalas added.
Alonzo Rios, who works for a window and door company across the street, recalled the crime happening at the height of the pandemic this year, when his business was hurting.
“I was here when the homeless were invading the park,” Rios said. “There was a lot of drugs and vandalism.”
Mayor McCann said the park will have better lighting, fencing and security cameras to prevent the issues that led to its original closure in the summer of 2022.
Asked about safety measures the city will take at Harborside Park, Mayor McCann mentioned plans to ban homeless encampments, an issue the City Council is scheduled to discuss next month.
