La Mesa has secured $1.5 million in state funding for the proposed Waite Park, a long-discussed project planned for a nearly four-acre vacant lot at Waite Drive and Murray Road, according to ABC 10News.

The project is estimated to cost $8 million, leaving about $6.5 million still to be raised. ABC 10News reported that city staff and the Parks and Recreation Department are expected to look for additional grants to move the park closer to construction.

Residents told the station the empty lot has sat behind fencing for years, even as neighbors hoped it would become a usable public space. Some also raised concerns about trash and occasional encampments at the vacant property.

For Santee and East County readers, the La Mesa project is another example of how local park and infrastructure plans often move in pieces as cities line up grants and outside funding. Nearby families will be watching whether the new money turns a long-promised park into an actual gathering place.

The source article is ABC 10News' Oct. 9 report on the Waite Park funding gap in La Mesa.