Pepper Park Opened Its Splash Pad First. The Other 2.5 Acres Still Need Funding.

The renovated Pepper Park at 3299 Tidelands Avenue is only the first part of a larger plan. In a 2022 design workshop the Port of San Diego drew one park of about 7.69 acres. This spring it finished the 5.2 acres that already existed. The rest is still a dotted line on a schematic. Meanwhile, the road and rail projects planned for the same stretch of bayfront have moved ahead. This summer they received coastal permits, and the Port pointed state infrastructure money toward them.

So the park you visit this fall could stay in this form for a while, and it's worth knowing well.

What the First 5.2 Acres Hold

Renovation started in September 2024. The ribbon cutting was March 19, 2026. The Port's ribbon-cutting announcement lists what was added:

• A splash pad, the first one the Port has built
• A pirate-themed playground
• A shaded sand area along the water, which the Port calls a perched beach
• An overlook terrace and a hillside play area
• A picnic area, a new entry plaza, new lighting and landscaping

The older features are still there. Those are the boat launch, the floating dock, the restrooms, the lawns, the Aquatic Center and a fishing pier lit for night fishing. The park sits on the Sweetwater Channel, so the boat ramp works for jet skis, kayaks and paddleboards as well as boats.

At the opening, Councilmember Luz Molina explained why the splash pad mattered to local families. She said she had driven to other cities just to find a splash pad. Mayor Ron Morrison said many residents had not known the park existed. He said that with the upgrades, Pepper Park "will no longer be a hidden gem."

The two Port pages give slightly different costs. The press release calls it an approximately $8 million project. The Port's National City Bayfront project page says $7.36 million. That page breaks the money down this way:

• $4.35 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and the state's Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund
• $2 million from the Port's Balanced Capital Program
• $1.6 million in Other Capital Projects funding
• $250,000 from Austal USA, which runs a ship repair facility on the bayfront

The Practical Details for a Fall Visit

The Port's Pepper Park page lists the basics:

The Port's page doesn't say whether the splash pad runs on a seasonal schedule. The 8-to-6 window is the only schedule it gives. If you're planning a cool November morning around the fountains, call the Port's Parks & Recreation line at 619-725-6001 first.

Gatherings have a firm rule. Groups of more than 25 people need an event permit. So does any gathering with alcohol or an outside service provider, such as a jumper rental, a caterer or rented equipment. That covers most birthday-party setups. Permit questions go to [email protected].

Summer crowd reports suggest the park still has room. On a hot weekend in late July, NBC 7 reported that families avoiding Comic-Con and crowded beaches found a less-crowded option at Pepper Park. The report also noted the splash pad, fishing and easy parking.

Food and Water Next Door

Pier 32 Marina borders the park. It opened in 2008 with 250 slips and a restaurant. That restaurant is The Waterfront Grill. Its menu includes smash burgers, Baja fish tacos, seafood, brunch and cocktails, and it offers online ordering. So you can cover the splash pad in the morning and lunch at the marina without moving the car.

Community Rowing of San Diego lists kayak rentals on the Sweetwater Channel. They run Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8 to 10 a.m. A two-hour single kayak is listed at $20 and a double at $30. Check the current schedule before you go, since the listing has no date.

Where the Plan Has Permits and Funding

The park's future is tied to the National City Balanced Plan. That is a land-use plan for the Marina District, about 60 acres around Pier 32 Marina. The plan reorganizes three uses that sit side by side: commercial recreation, an auto-processing cargo terminal and public park space.

Here is how its pieces have moved over the past year:

1. December 10, 2025. The California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the plan's Port Master Plan Amendment.
2. February 17, 2026. The Board of Port Commissioners accepted that certification. The Port says this lets it and the City start projects on the bayfront.
3. March 19, 2026. Pepper Park Phase 1 was finished.
4. July 14, 2026. The Port approved coastal development permits for the commercial segment of the Marina Way realignment and for a connector rail track.
5. August 11, 2026. The Port Board told staff to notify Caltrans that it wants to put $8.8 million of state Port and Freight Infrastructure Program money toward Marina Way and $6.7 million toward the rail project. That money comes from $35.5 million the Port was awarded in 2023.

Pasha Automotive Services and BNSF lead the rail project. Marina Way will be rebuilt in two segments. The commercial segment is first. The park segment is scheduled for a future phase.

Two more proposals would change the area around the park. GB Capital, which owns and runs Pier 32 Marina, has proposed a first phase with an RV park, cabins, tents, dry boat storage and a larger marina. Its second phase would add up to two hotels. Pasha has also proposed closing Tidelands Avenue between Bay Marina Drive and 32nd Street. Both are proposals, not active construction.

The Expansion Still Needs Funding

The planned park expansion would add 2.5 acres, taking Pepper Park from 5.19 to 7.69 acres. That's nearly 50 percent more parkland. According to the Port, the extra land would bring:

• A nature play area
• An expanded waterfront promenade
• Larger picnic and lawn areas
• A flex plaza
• A new parking lot with at least 23 more spaces

The Port describes the expansion as "contingent upon the availability of additional funding." It also requires reconfiguring a corner of the marine terminal.

That explains why the play features came first. Phase 1 stayed within land the park already had, and pandemic-era relief money paid for much of it. The expansion needs land that is now part of the working terminal, plus money that hasn't been identified.

Residents helped shape both phases. Between 2016 and 2022, the Port and design firm KTUA held workshops and public meetings. Some were pop-ups at Las Palmas Park, Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, and the Aquatic Center itself. The Port says that outreach produced one design for the current park and the future expansion together, so the whole space will fit together once both are built.

The Bike Route Coming This Fall

The next project you're likely to see may be a bike route rather than a park feature. National City is building the permanent alignment of Segment 5 of the Bayshore Bikeway. The south end would run between the former railroad right-of-way and Marina Way, west of Paradise Marsh. The north end would run along McKinley Avenue. The Port expects construction to start in fall 2026. In July 2025 the Port Board approved an agreement with the City and a $2 million Port contribution toward the work. City contract records list Griffith Company as the contractor. The City hasn't posted a detour plan yet. If you bike to the park, watch for construction notices near Marina Way.

To follow the expansion and the road work as they move, the Port posts updates on its National City Bayfront page and takes questions at [email protected].

Changes like a new road alignment, a bike route and possible hotels shape how a waterfront neighborhood feels for years. They also come up when families talk about the next home. If your plans include National City, in English or Spanish, Conchita Lopez is glad to talk through how the bayfront projects fit your timeline. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.