Costa Mesa considers buying lot near Shalimar Park for more west-side open space

Shalimar Park on Costa Mesa’s west side is undergoing a redesign and could double in size if the city buys and demolishes an adjacent building, seen here in 2022. The Costa Mesa Planning Commission Tuesday will give initial consideration to a plan by the city to acquire a residential property near Shalimar Park in order to expand a rare recreational space in the highly developed west-side area. “Acquiring this land would nearly double Shalimar Park’s footprint, creating a valuable opportunity for enhancement to a local community that is recognized as being one of the most densely populated and highly developed areas in the city,” reads a staff report for Tuesday’s meeting. City leadership in 1997 expressed hope the park might help transform a neighborhood known as an “epicenter of gang troubles, drug sales and illicit activities.” A conceptual design for improvements at Costa Mesa’s Shalimar Park, submitted by Community Works Design Group, includes a mini-pitch soccer area and a sports theme. While the general plan establishes a goal of approximately 4.26 acres of park space per 1,000 residents, the planning area in which Shalimar Park sits offers much less open space — just 2.34 acres per 1,000 people.