CITY OF RICHMOND
PARKS ASSESSMENT
Prepared February 2024 by CSW|ST2
2 | March 1, 2024 | City of Richmond Field Assessment
Figure 1. Majority Race by Area
Hispanic
Black
Asian
White
Multiple/Other
Figure 2. Racial Diversity by Area
Diverse
Moderately Diverse
No Diversity
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City of Richmond Field Assessment | March 1, 2024 | 3
INTRODUCTION
The Richmond Parks Master Plan adopted in December 2010 (2010 Plan) is a strategic document providing long-term vision for the City’s parks, trails and open spaces. The 2010 Plan sets the level of service standards for park acreage, service areas and active sport and recreation facilities per capita.
The 2010 Plan also identifies deficits in the quantities of courts and fields available to City of Richmond residents.
In 2010, there were only two field types with deficits in level of service— soccer and softball. Since 2010, other sports have experienced deficits. The city’s population rose by approximately 11,000 new residents and several previously existing fields and courts have been taken out of service due to maintenance issues, termination of joint-use agreements with WCCUSD, or conversion to other uses. Few new parks, fields, or courts have been built or upgraded.
A Focus on Soccer
As the city’s population has increased, its demographics have also shifted and the types of recreational opportunities desired and used have also changed. First indicated in the 2010 Parks Master Plan and in community conversations over the last decade, increasing demand for soccer fields has been paired with an increasing deficit in availability. Richmond’s soccer community has focused communication with the City around the lack of availability and access to soccer fields and has highlighted the resulting conflicts between sports—all while acknowledging the importance of sports in the physical and social health of Richmond’s youth.
Meeting the demand for soccer fields is particularly challenging—the City’s Council Districts with the highest populations and demand for fields are also the Districts with the lowest levels of existing park lands available for creating or updating fields. At the July 11, 2023 City Council Meeting, Council Members directed staff to assess which City parks could include soccer fields and to establish both a budget and funding plan to implement these fields.
This report responds to that direction with:
▪ A review of the park land deficit by Council District in order to identify the Districts with the greatest need for increased recreational opportunities. ▪ An analysis of existing parks in Richmond to identify locations for soccer fields and upgrades to existing multi-purpose fields, restrooms and courts for recreation, practice, and competition.
▪ Recommended short-term, mid-term, and long-term actions to achieve the desired level of service for soccer fields and park upgrades in Richmond.
This Park Assessement focuses
on opportunities to address the
deficit of soccer fields.
Recommendations prioritize
Districts with the lowest
levels of service and highest
concentrations of residents.
Total Population
Percent Hispanic or Latino
Percent Foreign-Born
2020 Age
2010
2010
2010
2020
2020
2020
105,630
32.2%
39.5%
116,790
35%
42%
Under 18 Over 65
26% 14%
Facilities standards, as discussed
in the 2010 Plan, address
the need for active sport and
recreation facilities. Facilities
such as sports fields or courts
have specific spatial requirements,
which must be designed into
the parks system. The standards
indicate the number of facilities
recommended to serve a given
population, based on the level of
use and the particular needs of
the Richmond community.
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LEVELS OF SERVICE
Park Land
Level of service standards are used to understand whether residents of a community have enough park land to serve their recreational needs and to guide equitable development of new park facilities. The City of Richmond’s General Plan sets a standard of 3 acres of community and neighborhood park per 1,000 residents. Based on the 2010 Parks Master Plan, which identifies 50 City-owned parks totaling an area of 247 acres and 2020 population estimates, Richmond residents experience a deficient in park land of just
2.11 acres per 1,000 residents, down from 2.38 acres per 1,000 in 2010.
While the city as a whole is under-served, disaggregating the data by Council District reveals that some Districts meet or exceed the standard, while others are significantly under-served. Further analysis shows that the under-served Districts are also the most populated, with 66% of the population living in the Central and East Richmond in Districts 1, 2, 3, and 6.
Some Council Districts meet or
exceed the standard, while others
are significantly under-served.
Figure 2. City of Richmond Council Districts by Park Land Level of Service District meets or exceeds level of
service standard
District does not meet level of
service standard
2 DISTRICT
2 DISTRICT
1 DISTRICT
3 DISTRICT
6 DISTRICT
5 DISTRICT
4 DISTRICT
4 DISTRICT
4 DISTRICT
Level of Service
(acres/1,000)
District 1 0.89
District 2 1.37
District 3 2.94
District 4 3.16
District 5 3.89
District 6 0.38
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Courts and Fields
The 2010 Plan proposes level of service expectations for the number of courts and fields needed to serve City of Richmond residents. These expectations are expressed in terms of the number of residents served by one field or court. According to the 2010 Plan, there is to be 1 field per 4,400 residents for softball and baseball and 1 field per 26,000 residents for football. The 2010 Plan also proposes expectations for the number of soccer fields. In many suburban communities, a standard of 1 field per 3,000 residents is used. Richmond’s density and lack of developable land makes this standard unachievable. The Plan instead establishes an expectation of 1 soccer field per 5,000 residents.
The following field count and deficits are based on the City’s population and facilities existing at the time of the 2010 Plan. Since 2010, several factors have increased deficits. In addition to the increase in population, fields and courts at school sites have been removed from use by the termination of all WCCUSD joint-use agreements. Two city-owned basketball courts have been converted to futsal courts.
Sport
LOS
Standard
Existing
Fields (2010)
2010
Deficit
2020
Deficit
Baseball 1/4,400 13 0 1.5
Softball 1/4,400 11 2 3.5
Football 1/26,000 4 1 0.5
Basketball 1/3,750 28 0 6
Soccer 1/5,000 2 19 23
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Richmond’s Sports Communities
Richmond has two football leagues, the Richmond Steelers with 6-7 teams and the City and Richmond Police Athletic League (Flag Football) with 12 teams. Local baseball and softball leagues are the Richmond Little League with 12 teams, the Junior Giants with 22 teams, and the East Bay Cyclones with 16 teams. The baseball, softball and football clubs currently practice and play year-round, with the exception of later November to early January, at Booker T. Anderson Park, Nichol Park, Richard Boyd Park, Belding-Garcia Park, North Richmond Ball Fields, and Tiller Park.
Richmond has a robust group of soccer clubs with between 38 and 40 teams, including Richmond SOL, Richmond Rayados, and Richmond United Soccer Club. These clubs currently play year-round, with a short break of about three weeks in December. Country Club Vista Park and Martin Luther King, Jr Park remain the only two purpose-built soccer fields in the city. Currently, practices occur at various locations in Richmond including Shields Reid, Booker T Anderson, Country Club Vista, Nichol, and Wendell Parks. Teams compete locally at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Richmond and have very limited access to reserve fields at Tom Bates Sports Complex in Berkeley and the Rumrill Sports Park in San Pablo. While the City of Richmond contributes financially to the Tom Bates Sports Complex, local leagues report difficulty in scheduling.
Discussions with Richmond’s soccer clubs refined the types of soccer fields needed to support demand. focus on the identified the need for:
▪ 13-17 U10 fields for practice and matches for 10 and under players and practice for players of all ages.
▪ 6-10 U13 fields for matches and tournaments for all ages and tournaments for older players.
Richmond’s soccer clubs need a
mix of U10 and U13 size fields.
Richmond United Soccer
Club and Richmond SOL were
recognized by the Richmond City
Council in a January 16, 2024
Proclamation for their role in
community service to youth that
contributed towards a reduction
in violent crime by providing
healthy, safe youth activities
during times of increased
violence and crime.
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Addressing the Need
A variety of park types can help to meet the park land deficit, but only a few types of parks are suitable to field play:
▪ Community Parks are large parks with heavily programmed facilities in a strategic central location. These parks typically include restrooms, lighting, parking, and play areas.
▪ Joint Use Parks expand utilization of school sites to serve community recreation needs. These parks may be neighborhood-serving or draw users from the larger community.
▪ Where availability is particularly constrained, neighborhood parks may also present opportunities for creating practice fields. Neighborhood parks serve users nearby and typically don’t include restrooms.
While young people under age 18 are the direct participants in youth leagues, parents, grandparents, and young children are all regular attendants at practices and tournaments. Meeting community needs requires sufficient fields, lighting, and fencing to meet club needs for practice and tournament fields, as wells as parks with amenities serving a range of ages, such as restrooms, play, and fitness areas. Amenities that support use of the fields during the evening hours and winter months and by residents of all ages and from across the city are key. Basic requirements for a field to support soccer club and league play include:
▪ Parking with an accessible path
of travel to the field
▪ Restrooms, drinking fountains,
and bottle fillers
▪ Spectator areas
▪ Play areas for children not
participating in a match or
practice
▪ Fencing to contain balls,
especially along the goal lines
and adjacent to residences and
streets
▪ Lighting to extend play hours into
the evening and during the winter
season
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FIELD ASSESSMENTS
Opportunities for new soccer fields have been identified at 21 City-owned parks and 6 past or future joint-use sites. At these facilities, preliminary fit tests indicate the potential for (14) U10 field configurations and (20) U13 field configurations. An additional 5 potential non-club play sites have been identified. U10 U13
Non-Club
Play Fields
Total Potential Fields 14 20 5
District 1 0.89 acres/1,000 3 2
Belding-Garcia Park
(potential joint use with Cesar Chavez Elementary) City-owned 1 Lucas Park City-owned 1 1
Nevin Park City-owned 1
Wendell Park City-owned 1
District 2 1.37 acres/1,000 2 3
Country Club Vista Park City-owned 1 1
Judge George Carroll Park City-owned 1
North Richmond Ball Fields
(potential joint use with Verde Elementary)
City-owned 1
Shields-Reid Park City-owned 1
District 3 2.94 acres/1,000 4 6
Boorman Park City-owned 1
John F. Kennedy Park City-owned 1 1
Martin Luther King, Jr City-owned 2
Nichol Park City-owned 2 2
Richard J Boyd Park City-owned 1
Unity Park City-owned 1
Nichol (potential joint use with LaVonya DeJean) City-owned 2 2 Lavonya DeJean Middle School Joint-use 1
District 4 3.16 acres/1,000 4 3
Fairmead at Highland School Joint-use 1 1
Hilltop Park Joint-use 1
LaMoine Park/Valley View School Field Joint-use 2 1
Olinda School Joint-use 1
District 5 3.89 acres/1,000 1 6 3
Booker T. Anderson Jr. Park City-owned 2
Lucretia Edwards City-owned 1
Marina Bay Park City-owned 1
Shimada Friendship Park City-owned 1
State Court Park
(Potential joint use with Kennedy High School)
(Joint-use) 2
Vincent Park City-owned 1
District 6 0.38 acres/1,000 2
Burg Park City-owned 1
Tiller Park City-owned 1
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District 1
1. Belding-Garcia Park
2. Elm Playlot
3. Humphrey Play Lot
4. Lucas Park
5. Nevin Park
6. Stewart Playground
7. Wendall Park
District 2
1. Bay Vista Park
2. Country Club Vista Park
3. Judge George Carroll Park
4. North Richmond Ball
Field
5. Parchester Park
6. Shields-Reid Park
7. Southside Park
8. Janice Play Lot
9. The Plunge
District 3
1. Boorman Park
2. Boyd Park
3. John F. Kennedy Park
4. Lavonya De Jean Middle
School
5. Martin Luther King Jr.
6. Miraflores Greenbelt
7. Nichol Park
8. Unity Park
9. Veterans Memorial Park
10. Virginia Play Lot
District 4
1. Fairmede Park/Highland
School
2. Hilltop Green Park
3. Hilltop Park
4. Lamoine Park/Valley View
School Field
5. Olinda Field
6. Rain Cloud Park
District 5
1. Abraham Braxton Park
2. Booker T Anderson Jr.
Park
3. Country Club Vista Park
4. Crescent Park
5. Huntington Park/Senior
Annex
6. Lucretia Edwards Park
7. Marina Bay Park
8. Mendocino Play Lot
9. Monterey Play Lot
10. Rosie The Riveter Park
11. Sheridan Observation
Point
12. Shimada Friendship Park
13. State Court Park
14. Vincent Park
15. Marina Bay Trails
District 6
1. Burg Park
2. Clinton Play Lot
3. Humbolt Park
4. Kern Play Lot
5. Mira Vista Park
6. Solano Play Lot
7. Tiller Park
.
Figure 1. City of Richmond Parks and City Council Districts
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for addressing Richmond’s field deficit prioritize under-served Districts where the opportunities are greatest to build on existing funds and design work to improve or create fields for competition and practice play.
These are also the Districts with the highest populations and where demand for soccer fields is highest. Because Richmond is a highly built-out urban area with limited space for new facilities, addressing the City’s field deficit will require a two-fold approach:
Expand useability of existing fields.
▪ Upgrade field areas through improvements to grass,
drainage, grades, and irrigation.
▪ Upgrade amenities by installing or renovating
restrooms, play areas, parking, accessible paths of
travel, fencing, tennis, and basketball courts.
▪ Change configuration and modify softball/baseball
infields and fencing for multi-use play.
▪ Obtain joint use agreements with WCCUSD to expand
field offerings.
▪ Rotate practice field usage to preserve quality of
grass due to overuse
Create new competition fields.
▪ Reconfigure large community parks to accommodate
more fields and create community sports facilities.
▪ Install artificial turf in key parks to offset grass resting time and expand usage during rainy season.
▪ Install or upgrade lighting in key existing parks to
extend hours of use for key practice and competition
fields.
While the field assessment demonstrates that space is available to meet the deficit of 23 fields, funding for construction of new fields is a key challenge. The following recommendations are organized to:
▪ Establish a short-term strategy to take advantage of existing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 mitigation funds to offset the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic. ▪ Establish ongoing actions that will support the availability of soccer fields. ▪ Outline mid-term preparations to apply for new funding for longer term projects. ▪ Document long-term opportunities.
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On-Going Actions to Support Soccer Fields
Evaluate City Maintenance Staff Needs
The investment necessary to reduce Richmond’s soccer field deficit will require upgrades to maintenance of fields, turf, irrigation, and park amenities and will result in additional workload for City maintenance staff. The resources needed to maintain soccer fields should be evaluated and allocations updated as required to operate and maintain the fields consistent with community and stakeholder demand. Augmenting staff with additional groundskeepers, irrigation specialists, and maintenance equipment is key to the on-going playability of fields.
In 2023, the National Park and Recreation Association (NPRA) prepared a nationwide performance review report to provide park and recreation departments with planning and management tools to manage their operations and capital facilities. The report established that a typical park and recreation agency have 8.9 full-time equivalents (FTEs) that include a mix of full-time and part-time staff for each 10,000 residents living in the jurisdiction. Based on this standard, Richmond would have 103.6 FTEs to maintain public facilities, with 46% of those assigned to park maintenance and operations.
The City currently has 39 staff members in the Parks Department including 3 Park Supervisors who oversee the maintenance of over 50 City parks, all City-owned grounds, and landscaped roadways.
Using the NPRA standard, Richmond would need an increase of
8.7 FTEs over the current 39 staff members. More research and data are needed to establish a viable standard for the City.
Pursue Joint Use Agreements with WCCUSD
Several significant opportunities identified in this field assessment require joint use agreements with the West Contra Cost Unified School District (WCCUSD). The City should continue to work with WCCUSD to establish or re- establish Joint Use Agreements, pursue funding, and develop design work for fields. The City should also participate in cross-jurisdictional County efforts to pursue funding and scheduling opportunities in support of joint use of WCCUSD sites.
The Promoting Local Access to Youth Sports (PLAYS) initiative is a strong potential partner in this effort. Founded on a recognition that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly constrained field availability and increased rental costs, this program recognizes that youth sports programs in the region are facing overcrowding at existing parks and steep increases in the cost to play. PLAYS is a partnership between Contra Costa County (County), West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD), and West Contra Costa County Children and Youth Sports Programs (Youth Sports).
The goal of PLAYS is to increase the usage of WCCUSD sports facilities by non-profit local youth sports groups through a County funding investment towards the cost of using indoor and outdoor school sports facilities. The County funding program will cover the full cost of WCCUSD custodian fees associated with the use of WCCUSD sports facilities by Youth Sports. WCCUSD will oversee the PLAYS program and supervise a funded part-time consultant to help implement a pilot program.
In addition to the PLAYs initiative, a new Systems Change Collaborative group has started recently with participants from all municipalities feeding into the WCCUSD, with the goal of subsidizing joint use of any school site and engaging non-profit groups to manage scheduling of facilities. The City of Richmond’s Mayor is a member participating in this collaborative.
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Short-Term Strategy: Focus ARPA Funds on Under-served Districts The City has allocated $4.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from Fiscal Year (FY) 23/24 to the improvement of soccer fields, courts, lighting and restrooms to improve or expand the usability of existing fields.
Restrooms, courts, lighting, play areas, and other improvements adjacent to fields are key to accessibility for residents from across the city and usability in during the winter and evening hours. The City’s ARPA funds must be obligated by signed contract before December 31, 2024, with a following two-year window for construction. Outlined below is a strategy for applying the ARPA funding in the City’s under-served Districts within the required timeline.
Implement Short-Term Projects with FY 23/24 ARPA Funding Cost Est.
Wendell Park
District 1
+ (1) U13 field
Wendell Park is currently used as a practice field for the Richmond soccer community. The park has the potential to provide one U13 field in conjunction with a softball/baseball field. The following improvements are recommended:
▪ Renovate grass, irrigation system, softball infield, and playfield. ▪ Install new fencing, back stop and seating.
▪ Install new single stall restroom
$1.8 M
Shields-Reid Park
District 2
+ (1) U13 field
Shields-Reid Park is currently used as a practice field by the Richmond soccer community. The park has the potential to provide one natural grass or artificial turf U13 multi-use soccer/softball field. Construction documents are underway for grant-funded improvements to the park, including a restroom, amphitheater, pump track,habitat garden, and play structure. The following ARPA-funded improvements can be added to this work by addendum:
▪ Renovate grass, irrigation system, softball infield, and basketball courts. ▪ Install new fencing, back stop, seating, and conduits for lighting. $1.5 M
Martin Luther
King, Jr. Park
District 3
Existing U13 field
Martin Luther King, Jr. Park is currently used as a U13 competition field by the Richmond soccer community. The following improvements are recommended:
▪ Renovate existing restrooms
$0.1 M
Contingency or
Potential Project
Enhancement
Options
A portion of the ARPA funding can serve as a contingency fund or can be utilized to fund additional enhancements at one of the short-term project locations.
Recommended enhancement options are:
▪ Option A. Wendell Park – Renovate play area ($250,000) ▪ Option B. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park – Replace restroom (additional $250,000)
▪ Option C. Shields Reid Park – Install Field Lights (additional $300,000) $0.3 M
(Permit, Management, and Professional Fees) Soft Costs $0.5 M ARPA Funding applied to Soccer Fields $4.2 M
Support Short-Term Projects with FY 24/25 ARPA Funding
Additional ARPA funds available in FY 24/25, may be allocated as follows:
▪ Option A. Wendell Park – Install new play area, artificial turf multi-use field and lighting ($3.0M) ▪ Option B. Shield-Reid Park – Install artificial turf multi-use field and lighting ($3.5M) ▪ Option C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park – Replace restroom, convert baseball field to artificial turf multi-use field with fencing and lighting ($3.5- $4.0 M) $5.5-7.0 M
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Engage Community in Implementing ARPA-Funded Projects
Successful implementation of both the near-term ARPA-funded projects and longer-term improvements will require strong community partnerships. We recommend engaging community members, park users, neighbors, and neighborhood councils, along with sports club and league users, to help shape the future park designs and gain support for the proposed short-, medium-, and long-term recommendations for field development. In general, the community engagement process for each project will include:
▪ Engage Neighborhood Council. Identify the applicable neighborhood council and meeting schedule. Identify City liaison and initiate outreach to share information about the project and schedule time on meeting agenda. ▪ Engage Interest Groups. Identify additional community groups with interest in soccer, parks, and/or neighborhood interests. Identify group liaisons and coordinate efforts to share information and get the broader community engaged.
▪ Conduct Community Meeting(s). A first Community Meeting with Neighborhood Councils and Interest Group(s) will introduce the project, share project information and proposed improvements, and solicit community feedback. A second workshop will share a preferred design plan and any options requested in the first meeting.
Feedback from the community will be requested to work toward a consensus on the final design ▪ Prepare Project Design and Construction Documents. Work through the City Council approval and permitting process as construction documents and cost estimates are prepared.
Wendell Park Community Engagement Pilot Project
Wendell Park is the recommended pilot project for delivering one new U13 field through allocation of $1.8 million in ARPA funding. Recommendations for applying the proposed outreach process to Wendell Park are as follows:
Engage
Neighborhood
Council
Wendell Park is located in the North and East Neighborhood. The design team will reach out to the Neighborhood Council to get on the agenda for the next monthly meeting. The Council meets at 7:00pm on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Richmond Senior Center on Macdonald Avenue. At that meeting, an introduction to the park project will include invitation to two Saturday community meetings to discuss proposed park improvements.
Engage Interest
Groups
The soccer community is motivated and organized around upgrading fields within the existing park system for practice and competition play. The design team will engage local soccer clubs to request their support in using their existing social media and communication methods to get the word out about the community meeting. The clubs may help canvas the neighborhood with flyers to invite area residents and extend word-of-mouth invitations to the broader soccer community.
The design team will facilitate the public meeting(s), prepare illustrative graphics, and prepare plans and details to fix and describe the size and character of site work for the project.
Exhibits will be prepared for the public meeting(s) to involve the community in the design of the site. Meetings will include City, local community members, and project stakeholders, including other sports clubs like softball, baseball and football that may use Wendell park during their seasons.
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Conduct
Community
Meeting(s)
If weather allows, the design team will request that the North and East Neighborhood Council host the Saturday community meetings at the Senior Center or at Wendell Park.
Community Meeting #1 Schematic Design. The first community meeting introduces the project, outlines the process used to identify why Wendell Park should be renovated, and discusses the proposed improvements. The design team prepares exhibits presenting the preliminary design. During the meeting, City, neighbors, and soccer community review and provide feedback. We will ask the neighbors to share their concerns about the improvements and ask for comments on proposed program elements and any additional items they would like to see in the park. We will ask the attendees to rank the elements from most to least important.
Community Meeting #2 Design Development. Based on the feedback received during the first meeting, the design team prepares a preferred design plan and preliminary estimate of the improvements. The plan and estimate are presented, along with any options requested in the first meeting. The design team will ask the community for their feedback and work to arrive at a consensus on the final design.
Prepare for
Project Design
Approvals and
Construction
Documents
City Approvals. As required, prepare applications and a Design Development package, arrange meetings, and submit for approvals from City of Richmond review bodies including Design Review Board (DRB) and the Recreation Parks Commission (RPC). Incorporated input received from the DRB and RPC into the overall design and construction documents.
Construction Documents (Plans, Specifications, and Estimates). This phase of the project brings all facets of the project design together in one design plan and specification set. The Design Development Plan Set reviewed by the City, and the subsequent comments and direction, are developed into final Construction Documents and Bid Set Plan Sets. At each Construction Document submittal, a full Construction Document Set, including Specifications and cost estimates is prepared. Plan sets meet City and project expectations, code, local public safety and engineering criteria. Continue to develop estimates of probable construction costs and provide comparisons to City project budget(s). City review comments at various submittal benchmarks are incorporated into the Plan Set submittals. The design team meets with the City’s internal Technical Review Committee for a pre-application meeting to insure coordination and support from the City throughout the course of the Construction Documentation work.
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Mid-Term Preparations to Fund Future Soccer Field Improvements This section outlines potential mid-term opportunities for improving or adding fields. Action on mid-term opportunities requires a robust public engagement process to identify priorities and develop planning needed to successfully compete for grant funding.
District 1
Lucas Park Allocate $2.0 million from the City’s General Fund to upgrade the site’s irrigation system, refurbish the grass field and softball infield, and install fencing and soccer goals.
Apply for a $5–7 million grant to eliminate large areas of paving and reconfigure the park with artificial turf, multi-use fields, expanded basketball, tennis and pickle ball courts, new play area, and upgraded restroom.
Belding-Garcia Park Work with the WCCUSD on a joint use agreement for a practice field at Cesar Chavez Elementary School.
District 2
Country Club Vista Pursue grant funding of $2 million to install artificial turf within soccer area, install new restroom building. Consider pursuing an additional $1.5 million for field lighting and $750,000 for modifications to parking and access from Park Ridge Drive and Hilltop Drive.
Shields-Reid Park ARPA funding recommendations include renovation of the existing grass field and installation of conduit to prepare for lighting at the field and basketball courts.
Next steps for this park include applying for $3.5 million in grant funding to install field lighting and convert the turf field to an artificial turf multi-use field.
North Richmond Ball
Field
Pursue funding for a $1.5 million renovation of the existing grass field, adding soccer goals, additional fencing, and potentially a play area.
District 3
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Park
An existing master plan for redeveloping a community center on this site could include reconfiguring existing baseball fields as a U13 grass or artificial turf soccer/multi-use field. With adjustments to the master plan, the site has the capacity to include two U13 fields. ($3.5–4.0 million)
Boorman Park Existing plans for renovations to Boorman Park include (1) U10 artificial turf field, restroom, basketball court, fitness, and children’s play area. Currently funded by a $4.0 million Prop 84 Grant and $3.0 million from the General Fund, an additional $2.0 million is needed to cover the cost of the neighborhood’s full park program.
Boyd Park Existing plans for renovations to Boyd Park include (1) U13 multi-purpose grass field, basketball courts, and children’s play areas. The City applied for, but did not receive, a $5 million Clean California Local Grant Program in 2023. Reapply for this grant during the next funding cycle.
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Unity Park Phase II
+(1) U10
Existing plans for Phase II of Unity Park include a U10 fenced artificial turf field, parking, skate park, resurfaced basketball court and dog park. The City applied for but not receive, a $5 million Clean California Local Grant Program in 2023. There is TCC grant funding for an e-Bike Lending Library/Bike Hub and universally accessible community garden adjacent to the proposed U10 field. Reapply for this grant during the next funding cycle.
Nichol Park (potential
joint use with LaVonya
DeJean
Middle School)
A joint use agreement for LaVonya DeJean Middle school, located next to Nichol Park, could provide opportunity to expand the park’s court and field areas in the near term.
Nichol Park is Richmond’s ‘Central Park’ and should be renovated to expand usability of the fields, play areas, courts, skate park and event areas. Multiple grants totaling $21– 30 million will be required to renovate the 21 acre site John F Kennedy Park Renovate field and layout for expanded multipurpose field area.
District 4
Hilltop Park Purchase or joint use of the surplus property contiguous with the City's portion of Hilltop Park may be developed into a grass soccer or multi-use field.
District 5
Booker T. Anderson
Park
Apply for an $11 million grant to create a sports complex and install artificial turf for multi-sport fields, renovate play area, install new restroom / concession building, install new basketball, tennis and pickle ball courts, field lighting, and parking State Court Park
(potential joint use with
Kennedy High School)
Work with WCCUSD to renovate Kennedy High School field for multipurpose soccer, baseball, softball fields.
District 6
Tiller Park Reconfigure the park and enlarge the multi-use field to accommodate soccer. This field is currently used for softball/baseball leagues,
Michelle Obama
Elementary School
Work with WCCUSD to negotiate joint use of this site for recreational soccer.