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Meta Park, a new 2.2-acre public park, sits between Buildings 21 and 22 at the Meta headquarters (formerly Facebook) in Menlo Park. A bike route through the park and onto a bike bridge will connect city residents more easily to trails along the Bay. Courtesy Meta.
Meta Park, a new 2.2-acre public park, sits between Buildings 21 and 22 at the Meta headquarters (formerly Facebook) in Menlo Park. A bike route through the park and onto a bike bridge will connect city residents more easily to trails along the Bay. Courtesy Meta.

A new public park and a bridge for people to walk or ride bicycles across Bayfront Expressway near Meta’s expanded headquarters officially opened Saturday, Jan. 29.

The event was considered a “soft launch” and Meta plans to host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event for the park later this year, pending a decrease in the prevalence of COVID-19, according to Ashley Quintana, public policy manager of community engagement at Meta (formerly Facebook).

The project was “many years in the making,” said Menlo Park’s interim City Manager Justin Murphy. “We want to be able to start the process of celebrating the opening of the pedestrian bridge and Meta Park.”

An aerial view of the new 2.2-acre Meta Park at the Menlo Park headquarters of Meta (formerly Facebook), offering bike and pedestrian paths, native landscaping and a large grassy field. Courtesy Meta.
An aerial view of the new 2.2-acre Meta Park at the Menlo Park headquarters of Meta (formerly Facebook), offering bike and pedestrian paths, native landscaping and a large grassy field. Courtesy Meta.

The 2.2-acre Meta Park is located between Chilco Street and Bayfront Expressway and between Meta’s Buildings 21 and 22, and offers a large plaza with bench seating, a sloped lawn and a walking path that loops around the park.

“We’re proud to open Meta Park as a publicly accessible open space to be enjoyed by all and serve as a gateway to the (bridge) and SF Bay Trail and beyond,” Quintana said.

The project includes a new bike and pedestrian bridge over Bayfront Expressway that was designed by Frank Gehry Architects that aims to make it easier for residents of Menlo Park’s Belle Haven neighborhood to access the nearby Bedwell Bayfront Park and the Bay Trail. The park’s landscape design uses native plants and trees, according to a press statement.

A new yellow bike and pedestrian bridge, designed by Frank Gehry Architects, now offers cyclists and walkers a safe route across Bayfront Expressway in Menlo Park. Courtesy Meta.
A new yellow bike and pedestrian bridge, designed by Frank Gehry Architects, now offers cyclists and walkers a safe route across Bayfront Expressway in Menlo Park. Courtesy Meta.

“Meta has been so supportive of bike access and safety efforts in the community,” says Heather Starnes Logwood, executive director at Live In Peace, an East Palo Alto-based nonprofit that, among other initiatives, runs a youth-focused bike shop and program.

“We are looking forward to community rides and having a bridge where we can safely cross to Bedwell Bayfront Park,” she added.

The new bike and pedestrian bridge by Meta crossing Bayfront Expressway was designed by Frank Gehry Architects and allows safe passage for cyclists and walkers to get to and from the Bay in Menlo Park. Courtesy Meta.
The new bike and pedestrian bridge by Meta crossing Bayfront Expressway was designed by Frank Gehry Architects and allows safe passage for cyclists and walkers to get to and from the Bay in Menlo Park. Courtesy Meta.

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2 Comments

  1. I tried to visit this new park today and was incredibly disappointed. Normally I am a fan of Meta/Facebook for their community works, but this was a joke. Turned away by the guards at Building 21/22 for accessing the park because there is no parking space for the public. The only way to access the park is either to park on the busy Chilco street and do a confusing walk through campus, or to cross the big yellow overpass they’ve constructed after parking a long distance away at Bedwell Bayfront Park. This is false advertising. They made a nominally “public” park gated behind their security guards with no reasonable way for the public to access.

  2. Hi menlolocal,

    My name is Lloyd, I’m a reporter for Almanac News. Thanks for your comment.

    I’m curious to hear a little more about your experience at the park. If you’re interested, please feel free to reach out at LLEE@almanacnews.com.

    Thank you,
    Lloyd

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