More than a decade in the making, City officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicating Cañon Street Pocket Park in Point Loma on Nov. 27.

Ground was broken on the new Portuguese-themed, three-quarter acre neighborhood park at the end of Avenida de Portugal off Cañon Street on Aug. 16, 2023. Completion of the park was initially planned for September 2024, but the project was delayed by winter rains in February and March.

The new community park project’s scope includes a new playground, hardscape surfacing, an entry monument, a seat wall, a historic wall, a drinking fountain, safety lighting, ADA-compliant pathways, and site furnishings.

District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell, City staff, and community leaders gave remarks before a crowd of local residents including moms with kids gleefully testing out the new playground equipment.

“This park is a great addition to Point Loma,” said Campbell in opening remarks. “We’re grateful to City staff and the Departments of Engineering and Parks and Recreation who brought this vision to life. This park has had incredible support from the Point Loma community. And we are joined today by many members of Point Loma community groups, including the Point Loma Association, the Peninsula Community Planning Board, and the United Portuguese Society.”

Added Campbell: “An important factor in designing this park was to make sure it reflected the history of Point Loma. And I’m grateful to our artist, Nate Page, who designed the “Horizon Dock,” the name of the artwork, that is specifically made for this park. I am grateful to every member of the community who waited so patiently, for so long, for this park to be completed.”

“What a beautiful day to open up a brand new park here in the season of Thanksgiving,” said Andy Field, director of City Park and Rec Department. He added, “Without the community vision for what used to be a barren hill overlooking a fairly busy roadway, there would not be a park here today. We want to thank our many community volunteers and advocates. It is within the spirit of giving that the community gave so much to be able to make this happen.”

“Can you believe this was once an unused hillside?” asked Elif Cetin, acting director of the City’s Engineering and Capital Projects Department adding, “When committed minds get together, you can create beautiful play facilities for community members and you can hear their (kids) voices in the back. This is a project that was years in the making, and we (City) are proud to deliver this (park) for the citizens.”

Page, the artist commissioned by the City to design the park project, said he met with community members first in devising a conceptual design for Canon Street Pocket Park to fulfill their expectations. He spoke of one poignant story told to him by a resident whose father was a fisherman. “On the day (anglers) were supposed to arrive (from fishing) their families would watch, and wait, peering out across the ocean to the horizon where you could see the fishing boats coming back. They said that was exciting, and that stuck with me,” said Page.

The artist noted a mural in the new park was “inspired by traditional Portuguese tiled murals” depicting families sitting on the shoreline looking out to sea, which he added, “honors the neighborhood’s relationship to the sea.”

“We’re sitting on top of a giant compass,” pointed out Beth Roach, Point Loma Association chair. “On behalf of the PLA board, and the hundreds of households and community members who make up our organization, we are thrilled with the completion of this park. Since 1961, the mission of PLA has been to beautify, advocate, and inform to improve our quality of life here on the Point. And this new park meets those criteria.”

Added Roach: “The park beautifies and improves our community, brings people together, and offers a happy place for kids to play, parents to gather, and neighbors to watch the sunrise, or just enjoy a peaceful moment. The park also celebrates the strong Portuguese heritage in Point Loma. The park was a long time happening, and it shows what can happen when engaged citizens continue to advocate for the community.”

POCKET PARK

The 0.7-acre park at the northwest end of Avenida de Portugal off Cañon Street cost about $3.4 million to complete. The park includes playground equipment, plantings, irrigation, hardscape, furnishings, and a public art piece called ‘Horizon Dock’ by Nate Page.