Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve to Add New Bar, Grill and Dining Deck in 2021 – NBC 7 San Diego

A brand-new grill and a dining deck with lakefront views are being built in San Diegos East County as part of a plan to keep a Santee landmark fresh over the next 20 years.

Over at Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve specifically, Lake 4 near the General Store where many families like to feed the ducks youll find a lot of construction these days and, as a result, the volunteer-staffed Waterfront Grill is closed.

Banners line the construction area showing whats coming: a new bar and grill and dining deck, all set to be completed by the spring of 2021.

Laura Koval, directorof park and recreation for Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve, told NBC 7 theconstruction project broke ground about seven months ago.

When its finished, the dining deck will featureseating for 150 people.

Koval said the plan is for the new bar and grill to beopen seven days a week, offering a great coffee menu selection, unique grillitems, and a few local microbrews.

She said a food vendor for the grill has not yet been chosen, but Santee Lakes is accepting information from vendors that may be interested in eventually running the dining facility. Those bids from vendors are due by Jan. 31.

According to Koval, the overall project will cost $8.8 million. Santee Lakes is owned and operated by Padre Dam Municipal Water District and Koval said the self-sufficient preserve receives no rate payer or tax payer subsidies. All park operations, including this project, are funded by fees collected from visitors of the park and its campground, she told NBC 7.

Koval has been spearheading the planning of this project since 2015 when she formed a team to help carry out the parks Dynamic Vision Plan, or DVP.

The DVP is a vision for the park over the next 20 years, Koval explained. The plan is dynamic so that it may adjust to the needs of customers, the community and park staff over time.

Koval said this is the second project at Santee Lakesto stem from the DVP. The first was a $1.7 million park improvement project onthe west side of Lake 2 and Lake 3, completed in August 2017.

According toKoval, this project will be completed in three phases to keep thepark offices and general store operational throughout construction.

As of Jan. 1, Koval said phase one of the project which involves the complete demolition and replacement of the parksadministration building was 65% completed. The building is expected to becompleted by this April.

Phase 2 the construction of the dining deck overLake 4 is currently 5% completed. She said the main concrete and steelstructure for this phase will be built over the course of this month and nextmonth. In addition to seating for 150, that deck will be able to be configuredto accommodate up to 300 guests for special events.

Meanwhile, phase 3 will involve remodeling the parksGeneral Store and adding the 600-square-foot kitchen. During that phase, theGeneral Store will be temporarily relocated to the adjacent Events Centerbuilding, Koval said. That building will also get a new roof, doors and windowsduring the home stretch of the project.

Koval said this project is critical to the future ofSantee Lakes, which attracts more than 750,000 visitors each year.

As part of the identity of the City of Santee and oneof the most popular tourist attractions in East County, this project willensure Santee Lakes remains a premier destination, she added.

Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve is located at 9310 FanitaParkway in Santee and hosts many of Santees big events throughout the year.

The 190-acre park features seven lakes filled with recycled water and stocked with sport fish year-round.

Santee Lakes also boasts several playgrounds, a splash pad thats open on those hot East County summer days, and a campground that includes campsites and cabin rentals.

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Santee Lakes Recreation Preserve to Add New Bar, Grill and Dining Deck in 2021 - NBC 7 San Diego