Chula Vista approves donation for Harborside Park, plans to early fall reopening

CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) — Plans are underway to reopen Harborside Park in Chula Vista later this year after its nearly two-year closure.

On Tuesday, the city council voted to accept a donation from the U.S. Soccer Foundation, allowing a portion of the park to reopen sooner than expected.

Community members say the park's reopening is a dream come true.

Leticia Lares is a mother of three. Lares says she's used the park for nearly 15 years. Her kids learned to skate at the park, and until two years ago, she walked in the park every day.

The park closed in August of 2022 due to problems of reported drug use, prostitution, and homeless using the park to sleep.

After years of community meetings, council discussion, and feedback from the community, reopening is closer than ever.

"There are preparations now ongoing to renovate the fields by returfing, resurfacing the basketball courts," said Stacey Kurz, the director of Housing and Homelessness for the City of Chula Vista.

On Tuesday, the City of Chula Vista voted and approved a donation from the U.S. Soccer Foundation for a mini-soccer field.

The council unanimously approved the agreement, which requires the city to fund the surface work needed to accommodate the field.

The park will reopen in phases, with a ranger station, improved lighting, and security cameras.

In phase one of reopening, the park will be open after school hours on weekdays and on weekends during daylight hours.

Harborside Park is expected to open early this fall, but the city has yet to provide an exact opening date.