National City Waterfront Overhaul Includes Pepper Park Expansion

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National City and the Port of San Diego have reached an agreement on a long-awaited plan to improve the city's access to the San Diego Bayfront. The National City Balanced Plan will expand Pepper Park, add two new hotels and an RV park, and increase public access to the waterfront without adding new land.

Why it matters

National City is the only city on the West Coast that does not have direct public access to its bayfront or oceanfront, with 100% of the land along San Diego Bay used by maritime industries or the U.S. Navy. The Balanced Plan aims to address this by reconfiguring roads and providing more usable public space.

The details

Under the Balanced Plan, Pepper Park will expand by more than a couple of acres. The plan also includes two new hotels, an RV park, and commercial opportunities along the waterfront. The 'new math' refers to a creative reconfiguration of roads along the bay, which will allow both the city and maritime operations to gain usable space, balancing public access with the needs of the maritime industry and the U.S. Navy.

• The Pepper Park expansion is expected to be completed and the park reopened in the next few weeks.
• Bids for the two new hotels should go out in the next two months.
• National City and the Port of San Diego will focus on implementation and funding plans to move the project forward.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Bids for the two new hotels should go out in the next two months, and National City and the Port of San Diego will focus on implementation and funding plans to move the project forward.