For Diné Navajo artist Nicole Marie Pete, a splash pad at Portwood Pier Plaza in Imperial Beach might seem like an unlikely canvas. But she sees something deeper in the sound of children at play.
“In my culture, we hold a beautiful tradition known as the first laugh ceremony,” Pete told a crowd gathered Wednesday morning beneath the colorful so-called Surfhenge sign. “Their first laugh is a sign that they’re choosing to join us fully — choosing their family, their community, and this world.”
It is her wish, she said, that the future splash pad becomes “a place filled with laughter, echoing the sound of children choosing joy, choosing play, and choosing community.”
People gather at the future site of the “splash pad” in Imperial Beach on Wednesday. Construction is expected to complete by the end of the year. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Port of San Diego and the City of Imperial Beach held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday to mark the start of a project that port officials say represents a $3 million joint investment in the beachfront community. The Port is contributing $2.5 million, with the city having secured $500,000 through Assembly Bill 170.
Construction is expected to begin in early March and be completed by December 2026, according to the Port of San Diego. The project will replace the existing playground surface with a new splash pad, along with utility infrastructure, a seat wall, landscaping, lighting, updated sidewalks, and accessible showers. Accessibility features include gently sloped pathways and arched water jets.
Artist Nicole Marie Pete, whose art will be displayed at the future “splash pad,” speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the the site at Imperial Beach. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Pete, a Southern California-based digital artist and enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, is creating the artwork for the splash pad. Her designs are guided by the Navajo concept of hózhó — a philosophy of harmony, balance, beauty, and peace.
Inspired in part by her grandfather, John Scott Sr., designer of the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ tribal seal, Pete’s work incorporates Indigenous themes and traditional motifs alongside contemporary digital visuals. She has also illustrated children’s books aimed at preserving the Navajo language.
Dan Malcolm, Imperial Beach appointee to the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners, speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the future “splash pad” in Imperial Beach on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Port Commissioner Dan Malcolm, Imperial Beach’s appointee to the Port of San Diego Board of Commissioners, pointed to the city’s demographics as motivation for the project.
“We have amongst the highest percentage of youth of any city in San Diego County,” Malcolm said. “They deserve an element like this.”
Malcolm, who has represented Imperial Beach on the Port board for 15 years, also reflected on the broader transformation of Portwood Pier Plaza — an area he recalled as a parking lot lined with chain-link fencing as recently as the 1990s.
The splash pad is part of a broader improvement effort at the Imperial Beach Pier and Portwood Pier Plaza that the Port and city have undertaken since 2021, including pier maintenance, structural repairs, new signage, and enhanced viewing and fishing features.
Local businesses in the area are expected to remain open during construction.
Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the future “splash pad” in Imperial Beach on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Imperial Beach Mayor Mitch McKay acknowledged the backdrop of ongoing beach closures tied to Tijuana River pollution, framing the splash pad as a forward-looking investment.
“This new amazing water feature will once again return smiling faces, joyful squeals, and whimsical playfulness to our beachfront,” McKay said.