The City of San Diego declared Mira Mesa Community Park Phase II complete on October 1, 2026, after two years of construction. That finished a $55 million project south of New Salem Street. The money came almost entirely from developer fees collected in Mira Mesa, and all of it was set aside before the fiscal year 2027 budget. The 14-lane pool, the all-wheel plaza and the shaded art pavilion were paid for by new building in the neighborhood they now serve.
The construction is done, but the schedule is still filling in. The City's Fall/Winter 2026 program guide for the new aquatic complex lists the swim team, junior water polo and water fitness classes as "starting November." Swim lessons begin November 3. October is the soft open. The park's first full season of programs starts in November.
Twenty Years of Waiting, Paid for Locally
At the completion event, Mayor Todd Gloria said that when community leaders asked the City in 2022 to help fund Phase II, "Mira Mesa had already been waiting more than 20 years for these improvements." Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee, who represents District 6, called it a "once-in-a-generation project."
The project came in two pieces. Phase I wrapped up in 2018 and covered about 11 acres north of New Salem Street: baseball fields, a children's play area, a comfort station and a parking lot. Phase II rebuilt the 17-acre section south of the street. It broke ground in September 2024, and the City says it finished within the original anticipated budget. The August 2026 progress report shows how the money split. The construction contract with PCL came to $43,308,127, out of a total project estimate of $55,124,058. That puts about $12 million of the estimate outside the general construction contract.
A Phase III is in planning. It's expected to focus on making the Mira Mesa Recreation Center bigger and adding amenities.
A Competition Pool on an Afternoon Schedule
The Mira Mesa Aquatic Complex is the largest piece of the project. Its competition pool has 14 lanes and measures 109 feet 6 inches by 75 feet 1 inch. The depth runs from 3 feet 6 inches to 12 feet 3 inches, and there are two 1-meter diving boards. Next to it are an instructional pool of about 55 by 42 feet and a zero-depth splash pad with stationary play features. The City's page says only that the complex "opened to the public in 2026" and gives no specific date.
The fall guide's weekday swim hours all fall in the afternoon, and Sunday is the only day with a late-morning start:
| Session | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Recreation swim | Monday and Wednesday | 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. |
| Recreation swim | Sunday | 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. |
| Lap swim | Monday through Thursday | 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
| Lap swim | Friday | 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. |
| Lap swim | Sunday | 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
Sunday has the most going on, and it gets busier in November. That's the only day lap swim, recreation swim, water fitness at 11 a.m. and junior water polo at 3 p.m. all share the water. The guide warns that lap lanes are limited during some programs and that swimmers must share lanes and circle swim. The diving boards depend on staff availability, crowd size and programming, and the guide asks swimmers to call ahead.
Some practical details from the same guide:
- Admission passes last one year from purchase and work at any City of San Diego pool. Buying one requires an SDRecConnect/ActiveNet account.
- Children under 8, or shorter than four feet, must be accompanied by a paying guardian in a swimsuit who stays within arm's reach.
- Only service animals are allowed in the facility, and they can't go in the water.
The November Calendar, in Order
This is when the park's first full season starts. Here are the dates in order:
- October 17, 3 to 9 p.m. The D6 Fall Festival at the Verne Goodwin Mira Mesa Senior Center, 8460 Mira Mesa Boulevard, with food trucks, a movie in the park, a Trunk-or-Treat and pumpkin decorating.
- October 24. Registration opens for Session 1 swim lessons. The guide prints this as "Sunday October 24," but October 24, 2026 is a Saturday, so confirm with pool staff before you plan around it. First-time families need a staff skills assessment before they can register. Returning swimmers should check that their prerequisite skills are recorded in SDRecConnect, or the system will block registration for upper-level classes.
- November 3 to 19. Session 1 swim lessons run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Early November. Three programs begin. Youth swim team practices Monday and Wednesday, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., for ages 6 to 17 at $35 a month. Junior water polo meets Sundays, 3 to 4 p.m., for ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 12 at $21 a month. Water fitness runs Monday and Wednesday 5 to 6 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to noon, at $5 a class or $39 for 10.
- November 11, 26 and 27. All City pools are closed for Veterans Day and the Thanksgiving holiday. They also close December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.
Swim team has a skill bar to clear. The Silver level requires swimming 25 yards of front crawl and backstroke plus a basic understanding of breaststroke, or finishing Level 3 lessons. Water polo tryouts are scheduled through the coach or pool manager, and team sizes depend on pool space. A child who needs lessons first will likely start in Session 1 and join a team later. The City notes that any of these schedules or fees can change without notice.
The Rest of the 17 Acres
Beyond the pool, Phase II added an all-wheel plaza built for skateboards, roller skates, scooters, bikes and wheelchair users. It also added two children's play areas, two multi-use sports courts, open grass, ADA-accessible walkways, lighting and an expanded parking lot. The project page says the basketball courts are striped for pickleball. The June construction report recorded steel ledges going into the plaza.
The public art piece is called Songs of Mira Mesa. Artist Kate Clark designed it as a monumental sculpture that also serves as a gathering place, a performance pavilion and a shade structure. The images on its roof, facade and benches were developed with the Mira Mesa Art Teen Fellows and draw on local leaders, educators, cosmologists and naturalists. The City's Cultural Affairs division commissioned it.
The Mira Mesa Gil Johnson Recreation Center got new heating, ventilation and air conditioning, a new roof, repairs to damaged wood and finishes, and fresh exterior paint. This is upkeep on the existing building. The plan to expand it is Phase III.
Some of the landscaping is new. In August, the City was still listing landscaping establishment, punch-list items, final Environmental Health inspections, and parking-lot signs and striping as work in progress. By October 1, the City said all project improvements were open to the public.
Lunch Before a 1:30 Swim
Weekday swim hours start at 1:30 p.m., so an afternoon at the pool can start with lunch on Mira Mesa Boulevard. Don Maguro opened July 20, 2026, at The Village, 8155 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Suite 3, serving kaisen don, the Japanese seafood rice bowl. Co-owner Hiro Tokairin grew up in Tokyo and runs the restaurant with partners from Village Hospitality. The group has worked together for more than ten years in sushi and ramen. The kitchen preps what it expects to sell that day, so bowls sometimes sell out before closing. The rice comes from Japan, and each bowl comes with a broth made from fish and vegetables. Eater San Diego reports the owners plan to add grilled unagi, wagyu roast beef bowls and omurice later.
Farther along the boulevard, Mike's Red Tacos opened its third San Diego location at 9089 Mira Mesa Boulevard on March 10, 2026. The business started as a food truck in 2021.
The Mira Mesa Town Council's 26th Street Fair is set for October 3, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., this year with a Hawaiian theme. It runs along Camino Ruiz between Mira Mesa Boulevard and New Salem Street, the street that divides the park's two phases.
If you're stationed at MCAS Miramar or due to arrive with PCS orders this winter, the November start dates above can shape your family's first weeks here as much as your move-in date. Alanna Strei is a service-disabled Navy veteran who helps military families line up a home search with how they actually spend their weeks, from lap swim hours to school-day afternoons. Book your free VA relocation consultation, and we'll build your plan around your report date.
