A Full Circle Story: Imperial Beach Sports Park Recreation Center Grand Opening

COAR Project Manager Jennifer Arizala, front row, second from the left, at the Imperial Beach Sports Park Recreation Center grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

When COAR Project Manager, Jennifer Arizala, was attending Harbor View Elementary in Imperial Beach, she dreamed of one day working in and giving back to her community. In 2026, just steps away from her former elementary school, she spoke at the grand opening and ceremonial ribbon cutting for the new Imperial Beach Sports Park Recreation Center.  “I grew up around this area, I still continue to come here with my daughter. So, it was a childhood dream, and is a current dream to give back to the community that I consider part of my village,” said Jennifer in her speech at the event.

Following her time at Harbor View, Jennifer worked as a Planning Intern with the City of Imperial Beach’s Community Development Department alongside Tyler Foltz, who is now the City Manager. Years later, and now a Project Manager with COAR, Jennifer was able to work with Tyler again, along with the rest of his team at the City.

Following speeches from the staff and community leaders and the ceremonial ribbon cutting, community members were invited inside to tour the facility and play in the gym. The Imperial Beach Parks, Rec, & Community Services team greeted guests with a raffle for accessories and toys suited for the summer season.  Inside the newly renovated gym, community members of all ages shot some basketballs, colored pictures, and played some pickleball!

All this hustle and bustle of activity is new for the site, which had previously been a community center, but had not been used for several years, other than during the COVID-19 pandemic as a testing site.  When the COAR team initially visited the site in 2021, the facility was equipped with concrete flooring and dim lighting with windows in need of repair and replacement.

The main design goals came from a community need for a more flexible space to host a variety of programming and the desire for a brighter and more inviting space. The resulting facility features wood gym floors that can accommodate basketball, volleyball, pickleball and indoor soccer, specialized Marley floors in the dance studio, and windows throughout to make the space warm and welcoming. Renovations were also made to the lobby and office spaces to ensure they are best suited to staff needs and able to support future community events.

At the grand opening, you could immediately sense the positive effect this renovated facility will have on the community. Members of the IB Dance Company excitedly tested the new Marley floors, and the Taekwondo team eagerly posed for photos in the new recreation spaces. "Our goal was to preserve and revitalize the building, helping create a place that serves the community for years to come," said Jenny in her speech. Jennifer also touched on the importance of community recreation facilities in her speech as a parent, but also for the broader community. They offer programming that is accessible for all ages and abilities, the opportunity to learn new skills, and a place to connect with friends new and old.

We can’t wait to see how the new Sports Park Recreation Center will serve the Imperial Beach Community, and are so excited to have been a part of the process in revitalizing the space. For Jennifer Arizala, this full circle story is now complete: the facility she worked on, she now gets to share with her “village.”