"If we proceed with natural grass we will have a difficult time." Oceanside Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez told the City Council this in August, and the line explains more about the park on Rancho Del Oro Drive than the renderings do.
You know this land if you live in Rancho del Oro. It's the open ground west of Rancho Del Oro Drive and north of Oceanside Boulevard. It sits just above the SoCal Sports soccer complex and Frontwave Arena, and the arena's crowds park on its edge. The plans call it Park Site 1 at El Corazon. Its official name is now Supul Park.
The amenity list was settled more than a year ago. The questions still open this fall come from what the land used to be.
A park built on a former sand mine
El Corazon covers 465 acres. Its borders are Rancho Del Oro Drive, Oceanside Boulevard, El Camino Real and Mesa Drive. The land was used for many years as an open-pit sand mine, and the city bought it in 1994. The Union-Tribune reported that the mining reworked much of the property and that some of it is still unstable.
A specific plan adopted in 2009 split the parkland into nine park sites. Supul is the first one being built. The plan also set aside land for commercial and residential development, which was meant to bring in revenue to build and maintain the parks.
The plan describes Site 1 as 36 acres of developable parkland. Existing land-use agreements leave about 17 acres available right now. The one finished piece is a parking lot of roughly 630 spaces on the southeast side, built as part of Frontwave Arena and shared with it.
The name
Under city policy, each April the council decides which facilities it will accept renaming proposals for. On April 9, 2025, Park Site 1 made that list. Three names came in: Point Park, Kiyam Park and Supul Park.
Point Park came from a proposal to name all nine El Corazon parks after surfing terms. Kiyam means "family" in Payómkawichum/Luiseño, and Supul means "one." The Supul nomination noted that El Corazon sits on land the Luiseño people occupied. It also pointed out that the site's landmarks and streets carry Spanish and English names, and proposed Payómkawichum/Luiseño names for the parks to honor that history. Joan Bockman submitted the Supul proposal on May 30, 2025. "One" also fits because this is the first of the nine parks.
The Parks and Recreation Commission held a public hearing on September 30, 2025, and voted 8–0 to recommend either Kiyam or Supul. The council took up the naming item on April 8, 2026. By early August, city staff reports were calling the project Supul Park.
What's already designed
The amenities have been fixed for some time. In July 2025 Gonzalez told a room of more than 50 people at the El Corazon Senior Center, "The park is 90% designed. The only piece missing is the pump track."
Earlier that year the city set aside $17 million to build the park. Here's what the plans include, according to the city and the Union-Tribune:
- A dozen pickleball courts, plus tennis courts
- A full basketball court and a half court
- Three playgrounds and picnic areas
- Oceanside's first off-leash dog park
- Oceanside's first pump track
- Two multipurpose sports fields
- Restrooms
The pump track got its own process. On April 23, 2025, the council approved a $1 million purchase order with American Ramp Company to design and build it. That November, it added $7,710 to draw up construction plans for pump-track lighting. At the second outreach meeting, on October 23, 2025, the city showed two 35,000-square-foot track concepts. The city has proposed an asphalt surface. Some riders at the July meeting said they'd prefer dirt, and the Union-Tribune noted that dirt would cost significantly more because of extra maintenance. Trevor Cox told the paper his family usually rides at Bradley Bike Park in San Marcos.
The city's project page for Site 1 still lists those pump-track meetings as upcoming, but they took place in 2025.
The two open items both come from the soil
Two decisions are still open as of early October 2026. Both trace back to the old mine.
1. Grass or synthetic turf on the two fields. On August 19, the council voted unanimously to study turf, and it asked contractors to price both surfaces so it can choose later. City Manager Jonathan Borrego said the council could pick one as soon as October. Gonzalez estimated about $2.2 million for grass and $3.2 million for synthetic turf at Supul. He added that over its useful life, turf would cost less to maintain and replace. City officials told the council that turf could solve or simplify problems caused by the shifting soil. Public comment split. Sports teams supported turf because it lets them play after rain. Environmental advocates and some parents raised concerns about heat, fumes and microplastics.
2. Who gets priority on those fields. By a 4–1 vote the same night, the council asked staff to recommend one city field as the permanent home for Oceanside Pop Warner and Thunder Rugby, with on-site storage. Staff will look at other sites as well, including Martin Luther King Jr. Park and Melba Bishop Park. Both programs often play home games in Vista and Carlsbad today. Deputy Mayor Eric Joyce said the soil could affect how the fields hold up. "I just want to know if El Corazon is the right place," he said. Mayor Esther Sanchez voted no because she wanted to see staff's options and costs first. Bockman, who now leads Friends of El Corazon, asked the council to use a full public process for any change: "This park is spoken for. It is for the people of Oceanside."
The design budget shows the same ground issues. Schmidt Design Group's contract started at $476,360 in February 2022. In June 2024 the council added money for a mass grading plan. This August's amendment, $26,800, brought the total to $770,000. That money covers drainage and stormwater requirements found during city review. It also covers permit work for recycled water, so the site is ready when recycled water reaches it at what the staff report calls a "future, but currently unknown, date."
Where construction stands
As of October 4, 2026, no construction contract has been awarded and no groundbreaking date has been announced. In August, staff said they expected to bring a construction agreement to the council this fall. The October 7 council agenda has no Supul Park item. In July 2025, Gonzalez projected groundbreaking in spring or summer 2027 and an opening in mid-2027. The city's undated project page gives two different targets. One section aims for construction to start in spring or summer 2026, and another says staff expect it to start in fall or winter 2026. None of these dates has been confirmed by a contract award.
Watch for the turf vote and the construction agreement on upcoming council agendas. Those two votes will set the timeline more than anything else.
Around El Corazon this month
The open ground stays quiet for now, but there's plenty going on around it in October.
Saturday, October 10. The Oceanside Shock open their home season at Frontwave Arena against the Fresno Falcons at 6 p.m. Up the road at 110 Rancho del Oro Drive, the Ivey Ranch Park Association holds its 45th Anniversary Western Hoedown from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Plans include barbecue, hayrides, line dancing, equestrian demonstrations and a silent auction.
Sunday, October 11. The Shock play the Stockton Thunder at Frontwave at 5 p.m.
Saturday, October 17. Oceanside Parks & Recreation hosts a free Halloween Trunk or Treat at Mance Buchanon Park, 425 College Blvd., from 2 to 5 p.m. Expect decorated-car trick-or-treating, games, inflatables and food vendors.
Expect some delays on nearby streets. The city's 2025–26 pavement rehab project includes Rancho Del Oro and Oceanside Boulevard, and the city said asphalt work would start in October. It warned of lane closures and parking limits as crews work in phases, and it hasn't given a completion date.
When the council picks a field surface and approves a construction contract for Supul Park, homes near El Corazon will have a firmer timeline for the park next door. If you're curious how those plans could factor into your home's value, the team at Jamie Gilman has worked in North County for more than four decades and can walk you through it. Get a Free Home Valuation.
