Alameda parks director outlines capital projects as aquatic center bids come in $5 million over budget

Justin Long, Alameda’s Recreation and Parks director, presented a multi-item update on the department’s 2026 capital and program work, flagging scheduling for several park projects and a notable budget gap on the planned aquatic center.

Long said staff expect the Jean Sweeney Park trail connectors to open later this month after final striping and signage; the CityView Skate Park renovation is in permit review with construction targeted for October. Long reported the aquatic center bid package returned roughly $5 million over the amount budgeted; staff plan to bring a contract for award to City Council on June 16, with mobilization expected in July and a roughly two-year construction duration.

On adjacent projects, Long said preliminary meetings with Alameda Backyard Growers have produced a community garden plan next to the aquatic center site. The long-range goal is about two acres, with an initial phase roughly half that size providing 70–100 raised-bed plots; staff estimated a 12–14 month build-out for the first phase with completion hoped for by late 2027, subject to weather and resources.

Long also described a slate of resurfacing and ADA improvement projects: Franklin Park and Longfellow Park paving, new safety netting at Lincoln Park (starting June 8 and requiring about six weeks of driveway/lot closure), Estuary Park phase two (including six pickleball courts and permanent restrooms) and playground replacement at Lydecker starting in August.

Commissioners asked detailed operational questions about a proposed schedule-change survey, summer registration trends, scholarship-fund usage, contingency and penalty language in construction contracts, parking alternatives for the aquatic center (a 50- and a 67-space layout will be presented to council), governance for the community garden (staff recommended a part-time city coordinator plus an appointed or volunteer board) and accessibility priorities beyond minimum ADA requirements. Long provided the department’s off-hours standby number (510-775-5459) and said staff will present the parking study to City Council on June 2.

Long acknowledged operations-and-maintenance pressures as capital investment ramps up: some new park acreage will come online with only part-time staffing in the next budget cycle, and full-time positions for new sites will be sought in subsequent biennial budgets. He urged public participation in the budget process and said the department will notify neighbors in advance of construction impacts.