Mezes Park Is Getting a New Look

Redwood City's Mezes Park is currently undergoing construction after closing in early February and, upon completion, will boast a laundry list of new improvements that will reinvent the park's feel and create a unique space for the local community.

The renovations are tentatively scheduled to be completed by July 20, and will cost a little bit less than $500,000 pulled from the city's utility users' tax fund, Redwood City Parks and Recreation Director Chris Beth said.

“I say tentatively because we’re waiting for the new restroom,” Beth said. “It really hinders on when that will be delivered.”

That’s just one of the new renovations coming to the park, though. Among the list of improvements are new play equipment, new and safer pathways and new pedestrian lights.

“It’s coming along very well,” Beth said. “We’re redoing the grass area because we had grass drainage issues, so we’re taking care of that and a couple new playground elements."

A swing set is being added to the playground, along with a new climbing area and slide, among other additions.

More lights illuminating pathways around the area are also being added along with new picnic tables and areas, Beth said. The current basketball courts are also being resurfaced to prevent any tripping hazards that could have been caused by the formerly cracked courts.

New paved pathways are being added throughout the park as well.

The renovations come as part of the city’s scheduled upgrades to parks around the city, and for Mezes Park, an upgrade was due, Beth said.

“We typically do two playground renovations a year, and we have 30 parks and plazas and areas that we maintain and program,” Beth said. “So this was within our schedule that we had to upgrade a number of items.”  

The last time it was renovated was 1976, with a significant part of the playground replaced by a KaBoom! — a nonprofit organization that helps build, open or improve parks across the nation — project in 2009.

But those were the last upgrades to be made until this year. Being so, the city held community meetings and worked with the local neighborhood, Centennial, to pinpoint its exact needs and demands, said Redwood City Senior Landscape Designer Claudia Olalla, who was the capital projects manager for the renovation.

“I think the connectivity of the park, the accessibility of the park, is truly improved. It’s a huge difference from pre-renovation,” Olalla said. “It has the strolling effect; it’s inviting. I think it calls for people to say, ‘Hey, come take a stroll.’”

Those benefits mirror what the goal was upon completing the new additions to the park.

“It’s a fairly large park within our park system,” Beth said. “It has a lot of great features and a really great neighborhood. We’re hoping people will use it and enjoy it.” 

Mezes Park located at the corner of Howland and Warren Streets in Redwood City, California.