SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As crews kept working on Snapdragon Stadium in Mission Valley on Wednesday, another major project got underway a few hundred feet away.
That's where San Diego State University and City of San Diego officials broke ground on a 34-acre river park to transform what used to be a massive parking lot.
"A parking lot where some adult beverages were consumed, some food was enjoyed, people wore the jerseys of a team that we will not mention, and there might have even been a scrap or two," City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera said at a ceremony Wednesday.
Now, however, he's excited about the future on that same patch of land that was once home to the NFL's Chargers.
"Instead of concrete and asphalt, we will see people," he said. "People who are able to run and play in the grass or on the trails with their families, their friends, their children and their dogs. We will see learning."
SDSU's 34-acre public river park is a key part of its Mission Valley campus, which voters approved in 2018.
University President Adela de la Torre said it'll be more than just green grass.
"The park will have something for everyone to enjoy, with more than four miles of pedestrian and biking trails, multi-use recreational fields, basketball courts, fitness equipment, fitness equipment, children's playgrounds, picnic area, an outdoor classroom and even more amenities," she said.
In total, SDSU Mission Valley will have 80 acres of parks and open space.
Construction on the river park is expected to be completed late next year.
