Good morning.
Celia Jiménez here, remembering when I moved to Monterey County in 2019.
I first lived on CSU Monterey Bay’s East Campus; it is considered Marina per the U.S. Postal Service, but not technically part of Marina according to city limits.
I still remember the striking contrast on Imjin Parkway between the decaying buildings on one side of the street and the shiny shopping center on the other, just off Highway 1. Later on, I learned those old buildings and dead-end streets are remnants of the Fort Ord Army base that closed in 1994; making sense of the two versions of Marina.
How to establish connectivity between those two was one of the questions I asked in interviews for this week's cover story, in which I dived into Marina's past, present and future. I got mixed answers, ranging from some saying Marina lacks connectivity, while others say the opposite. Mayor Bruce Delgado points out the boundaries between the city and former Fort Ord are blending together.
What I like the most about Marina is the diversity of people and food you can find in such a small city; as well as their fondness for trees and local flora. On a regular basis, groups ask for volunteers to pick up trash, plant endemic plants and restore unique ecosystems like the coastal dunes.
Marina is not only working on plans like the Downtown Specific Plan and Marina 2045, it is also upgrading current parks and working on new ones, two at The Dunes and one in the Sea Haven housing development. The second phase of Glorya Jean Tate Park, where the bike pump track is located, will include a playground and a dog park.
Hilltop Park (which is in The Dunes) near the sports complex is coming to fruition and will open in the summer. “They're just doing finishing touches on it,” Delgado says.
The second park at The Dunes, next to the Promenade, and an 18-acre park at Sea Haven, are also in the works. The latter will have tennis and pickleball courts, nature trails, picnic areas and more. In the future, Marina residents will have more recreational options.
Marina’s identity is evolving. Growth and change are inevitable; residents can impact how Marina will look in the future by getting involved in the city’s planning process.
(1) comment
Interesting that once again MCN fails to do real journalism and advocate for more housing for those that need it. Rather than expand without foreign investment, much of the new development is already owned by foreign investors. A fact that is really not difficult to discover, but somehow continues to elude even the most ardent self-proclaimed journalists at MCN.
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