Marina Park is located along the North side of the Balboa Peninsula on Balboa Boulevard between 15th and 18th Streets in the City of Newport Beach. The features of this proposed $21 million, 9 acre park includes a new 23 slip visitor-vessel-serving marina with a 200 foot side tie area complete with Dinghy and small boat launching areas, the “Balboa Center,” a 23,832 square foot multi-purpose building hosting a two-story 57 seat beachfront café, a sailing center providing educational opportunities and boat storage, public classrooms, city offices, and community events, a 5,500 square foot Girl Scout House, and a beach that will have significantly improved public access. Amenities for this park will include a children’s play area, two basketball half-courts, new public restrooms with showers and laundry facilities and three public parking areas providing a total of 157 parking spaces.
Despite some community opposition and Coastal Commission-raised issues over the project, Schmitz & Associates successfully represented the City of Newport Beach before the State Lands Commission and the California Coastal Commission to secure the requisite Coastal Development Permit in June 2012. The City of Newport Beach is set to start construction on this park in January 2013.