Berkeley Awarded $5 Million by State to Create New Park
BERKELEY AWARDED $5 MILLION BY STATE TO CREATE NEW SANTA FE RAILROAD TRACKBED PARK
The new park will feature community gardens, an outdoor classroom and orchard, a playground, a tot cycle track, a dog park, outdoor exercise stations, and gather spaces throughout the park compete with pathways, landscaping, and lighting
December 8, 2021
BERKELEY - Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $5,000,0000 award that will enable Berkeley to transform the Santa Fe Right of Way into the Santa Fe Railroad Trackbed Park which will stretch several blocks in southwest Berkeley. The award is part of the Governor’s Outdoor for All initiative which will see $548 million awarded across 112 projects throughout the state.
“Today the City of Berkeley is one step closer to building a new green public space where children can play, pets can run wild, students can learn, and friends can gather. Knowing that public green spaces promote healthy safe communities, I am grateful for the resources to transform the currently unused land at the Santa Fe Right of Way into a public park and greenway in Southwest Berkeley, which has historically been overlooked when creating parks and open space.
“While turning the currently unused land into a public park has long been on the minds of many, expensive remediation has posed a financial burden and stalled efforts. I am grateful to Governor Newsom for recognizing the importance of this park conversion by way of a $5 million dollar grant.
“Plans for the Santa Fe Railroad Trackbed Park include two community gardens, an outdoor classroom and orchard, a playground, a dog park, outdoor exercise stations and gathering spaces, and pathways, landscaping and lighting throughout. I look forward to seeing this vision come to fruition and to enjoying the new space alongside my neighbors here in Berkeley.”
The Santa Fe Right of Way, a 3.5 mile parcel formerly used as an industrial railroad, was first acquired by the City of Berkeley in 1978. Most of the length of the parcel was developed in the early 1980s, including two senior housing apartments, two parks, and two community gardening projects. However, a 1,300-foot stretch of land between Blake St and Ward St just west of Sacramento St has remained undeveloped. In early 2021, the City applied for a grant under Prop 68 (a parks and water bond approved by California voters in 2018) for the purpose of converting the empty lots into a new park and greenway. Today, it was announced that this grant application has been approved under the Outdoor for All Initiative.