The GCSD Parks and Recreation survey conducted in September 2019 defined what the community desired within the five plus acres available for park development and also demonstrated a  strong desire for a recreation center, with 67% of respondents rating this as important or very important. A community workshop attended by 60 residents was held in October 2019, where attendees worked in groups to map out their favorite park features. The input from these outreach efforts resulted in the draft master park plan reviewed with the Board in June 2020. More than 100 residents also provided individual comments via email and at Board and PAC meetings in response to a Summer 2020 postcard and a sign on the Burnham Strip. The district’s Parks Advisory Committee (PAC) reviewed community feedback and provided input to the Board and landscape architects throughout the process at their quarterly meetings.

In July 2021 GCSD acquired the building and property at 480 Avenue Alhambra in El Granada, to develop in the future as a Community Recreation Center (CRC) and District Office.  The location adjacent to the new park provides significant benefits, such as the opportunity for combined indoor/outdoor recreation programs, and it puts GCSD staff in a good position to oversee and manage both the park and CRC.  The site is leased to the current Picasso Preschool operator through May 2025, while GCSD completes the new CRC design and regulatory processes.

The Board selected Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc. to design renovation and expansion of the existing building to be flexible for many recreational purposes, as well as being suitable for community and private events. GCSD’s limited staff, which supports sewers and trash collection as well as parks and recreation would relocate to the CRC from their current leased space. Group 4, based in South San Francisco, has designed many community recreation centers all over the peninsula and beyond.  GCSD looks forward to designing and building a practical, versatile and beautiful CRC that will meet the needs of the whole community, across a wide range of interests and demographics. 

The design process was initially informed by community perspectives collected in GCSD’s 2019 Community Survey. Group 4 and GCSD then sought additional community perspectives by inviting residents to participate in an online survey in December, 2022. The community also reviewed the proposed design at several public Board meetings during the planning phase. In March 2023, the Board authorized submission of  the proposed design below to the County for review.