An empty industrial lot on the shore of San Leandro Bay in Oakland will soon be transformed into seven acres of waterfront park, in a $16.9 million project topped off by a fresh $1 million federal grant.
The major expansion of a small picnic area called Tidewater Day Use Area along the Oakland Estuary is being managed by the East Bay Regional Park District. It manages the 741-acre Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline, which surrounds San Leandro Bay — a tidal marsh and shorebird habitat bordering Oakland International Airport that connects to the estuary.
Construction is expected to start this summer and take a year. When completed, in summer 2027, it will introduce a multipurpose lawn, a nature-based play area for children of all ages, an outdoor classroom for nearby schools, paved pedestrian pathways, shoreline seating along the San Francisco Bay Trail and interpretative signage that describes the wildlife habitat…