Formerly a mining site, the El Corazon property was given to the City in 1994 by Silica Sand Mining Company
In 1995 the City Council directed staff to initiate a program for the development of a long-range use plan for El Corazon
In 1995 a green waste/compost recycling facility opened in the northeast portion of the site, where the City's green waste is recycled
In 1996 reclamation work was begun to stabilize slopes and to eliminate the pooling of groundwater
In 1997 a Vision Plan was prepared to assess how the range of land uses identified for El Corazon could be accommodated on the site
In 2003 Council established a 15-member El Corazon Planning Committee to make recommendations on the future use of El Corazon and oversee the completion of a conceptual master plan
In 2004 the portion of Rancho Del Oro Drive between Mesa Drive and Oceanside Boulevard was completed and opened
In 2005 the City Council approved a Conceptual Master Plan for the El Corazon site
In 2005 the El Corazon Planning Committee was disbanded, and in November 2005 the new 10-member Council-appointed El Corazon Oversight Committee was established to oversee the development of the Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report for the site
On June 3, 2009, the El Corazon Specific Plan and related Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) were approved, with the addition of up to 300 vertical mixed-use units, by the City Council at a public hearing
Also on June 3, the City Council authorized staff to issue a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to qualified parties interested in participating in the development of El Corazon. The RFQ was issued in late September with a January 27, 2010, deadline for submissions.
On June 6, 2009, the City's El Corazon Senior Center was opened on seven acres in the southeast area of the site, providing a 1,500-square-foot building.
On September 9, 2009, the amended Specific Plan and FEIR, including the June 3 modifications, were fully approved by the City Council. To view these documents, click on the following links
On November 4, 2009, the City Council adopted a resolution to establish the El Corazon Commission (ECC) and approved the bylaws. This new Commission, which would act in an advisory capacity to both the Planning Commission and the City Council during the development of the El Corazon project, would be comprised of ten members, including four members of the El Corazon Oversight Committee.
On June 23, 2010, the City Council authorized staff to apply for grant funds from the State of California Proposition 84 Nature Education Facilities Grant program. If the grant funds are awarded, they will be allocated to the El Corazon Habitat Trail.
On October 6, 2010, the City Council approved the appointments of 10 regular members to the El Corazon Commission: Diane Nygaard, Margaret Hernandez, Jerry Salyer, and Joan Bockman (former members of the El Corazon Oversight Committee), as well as Vanessa Webster, Hugh LaBounty, Sharon Dudzinski, Elaine Barton, Ruth Szabados, and Tina Ortiz.
On December 8, 2010, the City Council approved the Request for Proposals for the development of El Corazon.
On May 18, 2011, the City Council took action on a number of Advisory Group consolidations. As part of that action, responsibility for continuing oversight of the El Corazon project was assumed by the Economic Development Commission. On June 22, 2011, the City Council approved revisions to the EDC’s bylaws to reflect the addition of El Corazon issues. For more information regarding the EDC, please visit the EDC page.
On August 9, 2011, the Economic Development Commission (EDC) approved the El Corazon Ad Hoc Committee’s and staff’s recommendations to select Sudberry Properties/Soccer Field of Dreams as the developer for El Corazon.
On November 30, 2011, the City Council approved an exclusive negotiation agreement with Sudberry Development, Inc., as the developer, to enter into a Development and Disposition Agreement (DDA) for the development of El Corazon.
On May 1, 2012, the EDC created the El Corazon Standing Committee.
On January 2, 2013, Council approved a Recreational Development and Disposition Agreement (DDA) with Sudberry, Inc., including an athletic fields lease agreement for the development of multi-use fields. Council also approved a DDA for commercial development and the balance of the recreational area development at El Corazon. Council approved plans for grading a portion of El Corazon pursuant to the Reclamation Plan and authorized City Engineer to call for bids.
On February 27, 2013, City Council considered approval of an easement to SDG&E for utility purposes, to serve the relocated Agri-service, Inc. operation located in El Corazon
Moody's is permitted to remain on site until November 2027
Agri-Service is permitted to remain on site until October 2025
On February 26, 2013, the City obtained and opened bids to determine the estimated cost for the El Corazon Plan Grading Project. The bids came in higher than the maximum amount authorized by Council; consequently, bids were rejected by Council
Staff revised the El Corazon Reclamation Plan Grading Project and issued a request, obtained and opened new bids for grading. The lowest bid was $1,400,000
On June 26, 2013, Council approved the award of contract to grade the site.
Sudberry's Development Plan was submitted to staff by June 30, 2013
Sudberry had until September 4, 2013, to conduct and complete its due diligence
The comment period for the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) closed. The City received a number of comment letters: State and Federal Wildlife Services, Sierra Club, Friends of El Corazon, and Friends of Loma Alta Creek
The Mitigated Negative Declaration is expected to be approved by September 2013
On August 7, 2013, Council approved two Professional Service Agreements related to temporary field development. One is for soils compaction testing, engineering and geological inspections. The other is for construction staking.
The Oceanside Tide, the City's e-newsletter, contained an article on El Corazon in its August 2013 issue
The due diligence period closed on September 4, 2013
Agri-Service completed their move from the athletic field site
On October 1, 2013, the EDC El Corazon Standing Committee unanimously recommended that the Planning Commission adopt the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) and approve the Development Plan.
On October 7, 2013, the Planning Commission adopted the MND and approved the Development Plan.
On November 14, 2013, the Groundbreaking Ceremony was held for the SoCal Oceanside Sports Complex.
On December 10, 2013, the EDC unanimously voted to enter into a Negotiation Agreement (NA) with Swimming Hall of Fame Partners for the further development of El Corazon
On January 8, 2014, City Council approved the NA with Swimming Hall of Fame Partners, as the developer, to enter into a Development and Disposition Agreement (DDA) for the further development of El Corazon.
On July 1, 2014, grading was completed and the temporary athletic fields were turned over to SoCal
SoCal has tentatively scheduled their first tournaments for November 2014
On July 30, 2014, the EDC El Corazon Standing Committee voted to recommend that the EDC and City Council receive public input on the proposed Aquatics Resort and authorize staff to negotiate a DDA with the developer
On August 4, 2014, the EDC voted not to recommend that the City Council receive input on the proposed Aquatics Resort and not to authorize staff to negotiate a DDA with the developer.
On January 7, 2015, the City Council approved plans and specifications for the Recycled Water System Pipeline Conversion and Recycled Water Pipelines Project to serve El Corazon.
On March 18, 2015, the City Council directed staff to ensure the continued planning and design necessary for the development of an Aquatics Center at the El Corazon Senior Center site
At a Council Workshop on April 15, 2015, the City Council approved the authorization of staff to issue a Request for Proposals to conduct the required studies and begin the entitlement process for the El Corazon Aquatics Center
During the first quarter of 2019, the City Council agreed to fund the project through the sale of bonds. Work is scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2021 with a grand opening slated shortly afterwards.
On October 9, 2019, the City Council approved the financing plan for the El Corazon Aquatics Center and awarded the construction contract to PCL Construction of San Diego. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 30, 2019.
In 2022, the City of Oceanside began public outreach to learn what residents wanted to see at a new park at El Corazon (now known as "Park Site 1"). By 2023, a design concept was developed and final designs are expected to be complete by early 2026, with construction anticipated to start in Spring/Summer 2026. More
In late 2025, the City began work to add another trail at the El Corazon property. The trail is expected to open to the public in February 2026.
