Pocket Park Pops Up on Westside

A small pocket park has popped up on the corner of Ortega and Bath streets, slated to open for Westside families within the month. The 2,562 square foot site sits adjacent to Mission Creek and features a play structure, tile mosaic mural, and paved surface with two stone benches. A drought-resistant mulch surrounds the playground, dotted with trees and boulders and enclosed by ornamental iron fences.

The playground is suited for young children, aged 2-5, and will cater to local families, city officials have said. Planners designed and built the park as a way of bringing more family-friendly spaces to the densely populated neighborhood west of downtown, a region short on recreational areas.

The tiny toddler getaway has been planned for years, with the city’s Parks and Recreation department first identifying the site in the 1990s as part of the Lower Mission Creek Flood Control project. Construction was intended after the completion of the Mission Creek Bridge in December 2011, but was delayed due to the dissolution of the city’s Redevelopment Agency. Planners secured $250,000 for the project in December 2013, and began construction in February 2014.