California Construction News staff writer
Construction has started on a 93.7-acre Veterans Memorial Park in Carlsbad, following the city’s award of a $38.9-million construction contract to BrightView Landscape Development Inc. The overall project is budgeted at approximately $57.2 million, including planning, design, engineering, environmental work and construction.
Construction will transform approximately 38.8 acres of the site into recreational and community amenities, while 54.9 acres will remain as protected habitat.
Plans include a Veterans Memorial Plaza, shaded pavilions, public art, a support building with catering space, storage and restrooms, a large gathering area, an inclusive playground, picnic areas and open lawn.
The upper plateau will include accessible pathways, fitness and exercise areas, picnic spaces and native plant areas, along with views toward Agua Hedionda Lagoon, the Pacific Ocean and a nearby golf course.
Transportation improvements will also be completed along Faraday Avenue, including two new left-turn lanes at the park entrances, roadway restriping and bicycle-lane improvements.
BrightView is expected to complete construction in about 20 months. The company’s scope also includes five years of monitoring and maintenance of habitat restoration areas.
More than half of the park property will remain protected habitat, allowing the project to combine recreational amenities with preservation of the site’s natural environment.
Funding for the project includes approximately $49.2 million from Carlsbad’s Community Facilities District No. 1, a $5-million grant from the California Natural Resources Agency and a $3-million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant.
