On a mild winter day—perfect for a workout—a Grand Opening ceremony was held for Pike Park, an ingeniously designed “pocket park” at 195 Seaside Way. The new 8000 square foot recreation area, accessible to people of all ages and mobilities, is named in honor of the legendary Pike Amusement Park, which hosted countless thousands along the Downtown waterfront for nearly a century.
Park visitors can work out on state-of-the-art fitness machines, frolic with their pets in the dog park, or just take a moment to relax in the new park’s warm and welcoming ambiance.
Mayor Robert Garcia, Councilmember Jeannine Pearce, acting City Manager Tom Modica and DLBA President/CEO Kraig Kojian were among the attendees at the ceremony on February 13, along with officials from the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine.
Pike Park was designed and built by Lennar Multifamily Communities (LMC) as part of the requirements included in the approval of its plan for the Oceanaire, the new apartment building adjacent to the park. Pike Park provides recreation amenities for Oceanaire residents and is also open to the public. It can be entered via Seaside Way (there is no curb, which improves accessibility) and also by two curvy, adult-sized slides that descend into the park from the walkway above.
“I appreciate this effort to improve public access to recreation, fitness and a playful open space, even in the smallest footprint,” said DLBA Placemaking Manager Mariah Hoffman. “The park is also a nice addition to the Downtown Fitness Loop established in 2017.”
The Downtown Fitness Loop is a walking/running path approximately five miles long, connected by fitness equipment stations and distance markers. Fitness Loop enthusiasts can now include Pike Park’s two-story slide and exercise machines in their waterfront exercise routine.
For more information about Pike Park and the Downtown Fitness Loop, please visit www.LBParks.org