Groundbreaking of the Tidewater Aquatic Center

Please join the East Bay Regional Park District
in celebrating the groundbreaking of the
Tidewater Aquatic Center
Friday, August 28, 2009
10 am
4855 Tidewater Avenue
along the eastern side of the estuary at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline

Master of Ceremonies:
East Bay Regional Park District Board Members Doug Siden and John Sutter
Light refreshments follow the groundbreaking.
Please RSVP by August 25 to Brenda Montano
at bmontano@ebparks.org or by phoning 510-544-2200.

About the Tidewater Project:

The Tidewater area of Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline is the location of the latest East Bay Regional Park
District project to increase opportunities for public access to the Bay shoreline and water-related activities.

Funded through a grant from State Parks Proposition 40 in combination with funds from the Park District’s Measure CC the groundbreaking for over $4,000,000 in improvements to this shoreline site is a cause for celebration. The Tidewater Aquatic Center project will construct a 12,300-square-foot boathouse complex, which includes a meeting room, training area, security residence, dock, and storage for various types of boats.

The new center will compliment the already existing amenities at the site, which include access and connection for hiking and cycling along the Bay Trail, turf sites for picnicking, shoreline access for fishing, protection of native plants and wildlife found along the shoreline, a new entry road, parking area, and restroom. Once the center is completed, the Park District will begin a partnership with Oakland Strokes, an Oakland-based nonprofit junior rowing organization founded in 1973 and affiliated with the U.S. Rowing Association.

Under a multi-year lease agreement, the Strokes will operate the boathouse facility and provide a comprehensive outreach effort to connect with and mentor youngsters from the neighborhoods near Tidewater in the sport of competitive rowing. In addition, other organizations will be leased space to provide on-the-water experiences with boating and water safety, sea kayaking, canoeing, and other waterrelated recreational programs for the youth of the area and the general public. Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline is a popular destination for birdwatchers, picnickers, Bay Trail hikers, bikers, and anglers.

It also is home to thousands of migrating birds that annually use the 50-acre Arrowhead Marsh on the Pacific Flyway, which is part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network. The Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline Tidewater Aquatic Center and surrounding amenities are located on the waterfront side of Tidewater Avenue off High Street in East Oakland.

Driving Directions:

4855 Tidewater Avenue

From Oakland South on I-HWY 880:
Take I-880 south toward Alameda. Take Exit 38/High Street and merge onto Oakport Street. Turn right at Lesser Street. At Tidewater Avenue follow event parking directions.

From San Leandro North on I-HWY 880:
Take I-880 north. Take Exit 38 toward Alameda/High Street. Follow Coliseum Way to the intersection at High Street. Turn left onto High Street. Turn left at Tidewater Avenue and follow event parking directions.