June 24, 2025
Library and Community Services
Public Works
DATE: June 24, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
LaShonda White, Deputy City Manager – Community
Services
Daniel Chavarria, Director of Public Works
Josef Munoz, Assistant Deputy Director – Public Work
SUBJECT:
Contract with Trust for Public Land to Support the Design of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The grant received from the Hellman Foundation will cover the cost of the contract (Account String:10636031- 400733-23065).
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
December 17, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City received a $250,000 grant from the Hellman
Foundation to support the design development of the
Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center ($175,000 for
the City) and Park ($75,000 for Trust for Public Land).
The $75,000 allocation will cover the cost of the contract with Trust for Public Land.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a contract with Trust for Public Land to
support the redesign of Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in the amount of $75,000, funded by a Hellman
Foundation grant, for a term beginning July 1, 2025,
through March 31, 2026 – Community Services/Public
Works (LaShonda White 510-620-6828/Josef Munoz
510-620-6671)
AGENDA
REPORT
June 24, 2025
DISCUSSION:
Over the past few years, the Hellman Foundation has worked with the City of Richmond and various community-based organizations to build a community-driven investment strategy focused on access and activation of parks and public spaces in Richmond. The Hellman Foundation funded numerous grants to Richmond-serving organizations, including a grant to the City of Richmond and the Trust for Public Land (TPL) to support the redesign and development of concept plans for the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Community Center (MLK Community Center) and underdeveloped Park areas (Attachment 1 and 2).
The Richmond Park Equity Project (RichPEP) is a collaborative initiative aimed at advancing park equity in the City of Richmond. Led by Black and Brown residents, the project brings together community-based organizations, local residents, parks and open space advocates, philanthropic partners, City staff, and technical experts to ensure that Richmond’s parks are vibrant, inclusive, safe, and well-maintained.
The MLK Community Center and Park Plan Update project will fund a renewed effort to rebuild the MLK Community Center, including a comprehensive community outreach and design process to ensure the center meets the current needs of residents. By re- engaging the community and updating building plans to the 35 percent completion mark, the City will then be well-positioned to seek private and public sector funding to complete the project. TPL will support with community outreach and will also fund a contract with an architect as it relates to the use and programming of the adjacent park.
Proposed Contract with TPL
Per the Hellman Foundation grant agreement, the City will enter into a $75,000 contract with TPL to support the design of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, and work closely with City staff on community engagement for the overall MLK Community Center and Park design. The TP is one of the qualified consultants that responded to the City’s Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for organizations interested in partnering with the City through public-private partnerships. TPL is included on the City Council-approved list of qualified organizations, satisfying the City’s procurement requirements.
In collaboration with the City, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) issued a request for proposals from landscape architecture firms to support the reimagining of key areas within Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Park. This visioning effort will occur in parallel with updates to the design of the future MLK Community Center, which will be located within the park. MIG, Inc.—a reputable firm with prior experience in Richmond—was selected to lead this work. The contract will be managed by TPL. MIG brings extensive experience in public space and park master planning across the Bay Area, a strong understanding of the approval and permitting processes in Contra Costa County, and a demonstrated commitment to working collaboratively with community-based organizations throughout the design and construction process.
June 24, 2025
The MLK Park site is located in in the Coronado Neighborhood, an area identified by CalEnviroScreen 4.0 as having high levels of pollution and social vulnerability. The adjacent Community Center, demolished in 2010, previously served local youth, seniors, and after-school programs (Attachment 3). The park visioning will build on previous community input, which emphasized a need for health-focused amenities such as community gardens and outdoor activity spaces, and will work alongside engagement for the Community Center. The park includes existing and recently updated features like a track, soccer field, outdoor fitness area, and soon-to-be- refurbished restrooms, which must be integrated into the new park vision. This project will require close collaboration between the landscape architect and the City’s selected architect for the community center, ensuring the final design connects the park with the Community Center and reflects the community's needs.
Community input will be a central component of this process, with robust engagement conducted through a series of workshops and public meetings. Feedback from local stakeholders will directly inform the design of both the park and the future MLK Community Center. The final concept plan will reflect community input and serve as the foundation for future grant applications and funding opportunities. The landscape architecture team will coordinate closely with the City’s selected architectural firm for the MLK Community Center, KPA, to ensure a cohesive and streamlined community engagement process across both planning efforts.
TPL Roles and Responsibilities
TPL will serve as the lead coordinator and primary contact for the landscape architect and park visioning process, managing communication and engagement logistics associated with the park space (Attachment 4). The following tasks are included in the TPL team scope of work:
Overall Proposed Work Plan:
TPL and a TPL hired Landscape Architectural firm will provide support for community outreach and visioning for the park space around MLK Community Center, creating a Concept Plan for the park that complements the Community Center design. The Concept Plan will incorporate the recent updates to the park, including the sports field, track, fitness area, and soon-to-be replaced public restroom, as well as the future Community Center, in order to examine the park as a whole and how it can best serve the community.
Project Management:
TPL will hire a Landscape Architectural firm with expertise in park master planning and community visioning. This process will include a Request for Proposals, interviews, and contracting.
TPL team will collaborate with the City and its hired architect to develop an engagement strategy —or at minimum, an outreach outline — for the adjacent park that complements proposed outreach plan for the Community Center. This
June 24, 2025
outreach for the park will focus on the use and programming of the adjacent park.
TPL will run recurring meetings with Landscape Architect to ensure that the outreach and design align with the Community Center’s design, and the community and City goals.
TPL team will join other meetings as needed for coordination.
Community Engagement:
TPL and hired Landscape Architect will attend preparation meeting for Community Workshops led by the architect of the community center. Landscape Architect will provide materials for and join TPL at design workshops led by the architect for the Community Center.
TPL and Landscape Architect will provide materials to be included in other forms of outreach, such as surveys, flyers, and stakeholder meetings. TPL team will attend up to 3 community workshops, and up to 5 stakeholder meetings.
Concept Plan
Landscape Architect will create a Concept Plan for the park based on input from the community, the architect, and the City that complements the Community Center. The Concept Plan will identify levels of park improvements needed to better serve the community.
Proposed Timeline
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
The proposed grant projects would support the following Council adopted goals and policies in the General Plan 2030:
Goal PR 2: Safe and High-Quality Parks and Recreational Facilities Provide safe, high-quality, distinctive parks that support secure places for social interaction, community identity, beauty and livability. Base Park designs on the unique cultural, historic and environmental setting of an area so that each park is distinctive.
Promote safety and activate parks by programming for broad appeal, encouraging flexible spaces to accommodate a wide range of experiences and utilizing natural and technological surveillance measures.
Activity Description Estimated Timeline
Project Initiation/Kick off Meeting July 2025
Vision and Alternatives July 2025 – October 2025
Final Concept Plan November 2025 – December 2025
June 24, 2025
PR1.3 Equitable Distribution of Park and Recreation Facilities Expand park and recreation opportunities in all neighborhoods and ensure that they are offered within comfortable walking distance of homes, schools and businesses in order to encourage more physical and socially active lifestyles. Continue to implement the parkland development standard of three acres of community or neighborhood parkland per 1,000 population in each neighborhood planning area. This represents a minimum provision which should be exceeded whenever possible. In established neighborhoods where land availability for new large parks is limited, prioritize improvement and maintenance of compact parks, play lots and plazas to increase access to recreation opportunities for residents.
Policy PR 3.2 Equitable Maintenance and Renovation
Provide equitable park maintenance, renovation and upgrading funding across planning areas. Provide a high standard of ongoing maintenance, renovation and upgrading of City parks and recreation facilities. Prevent deterioration and ensure that facilities continue to serve community needs. Ensure that the development of new parks does not jeopardize ongoing maintenance of existing parks.
The update to the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center and Park Plan, which aims to serve the surrounding Santa Fe and Coronado neighborhoods, is identified in the adopted Richmond Resilience Roadmap. This effort also represents a key component of the broader Nystrom United Revitalization Effort (NURVE).
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Hellman Foundation Grant Award
Attachment 2 – City Council-Approved Resolution
Attachment 3 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Center and Park Project Area Attachment 4 – Original Contract with Trust for Public Land