April 28, 2026
City Council
DATE: April 28, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Vice Mayor Doria Robinson (Sponsor)
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez (Co-Sponsor)
Subject:
Creating a Park and Playground in Pullman
Neighborhood to begin to Correct Decades of Systemic
Underinvestment in this Underserved Neighborhood
FINANCIAL IMPACT: No funding is requested at this time. Staff time required to conduct the analysis will be absorbed within existing department budgets. If future costs are identified for
property acquisition, design, or park development, staff will return to the City Council with funding
recommendations and any necessary budget
adjustments.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
City of Richmond Parks Master Plan 2030
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
For decades, the Pullman neighborhood in Richmond,
one of the city’s most densely populated areas and home to a disproportionately high number of children, has
lacked a public park or playground within a safe walking distance of where residents live.
This agenda item is intended to initiate an effort to
establish a neighborhood park and permanently address
this longstanding inequity.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DIRECT staff to work with the Pullman Neighborhood
Council to explore acquisition of Parcel # (APN): 513-
025-001-1 comprising the vacant lot at South 27th Street and Florida Avenue to evaluate feasibility, funding
opportunities, and development pathways to establish
and develop a neighborhood park that serves Pullman
families and to RETURN to the City Council with
AGENDA
REPORT
April 28, 2026
recommendations and a proposed timeline within 90
days - Vice Mayor Doria Robinson (510-620-6568).
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez (510-620-6565).
DISCUSSION:
For decades, the Pullman neighborhood in Richmond has faced a persistent inequity:
despite being one of the City’s most densely populated neighborhoods and home to one of the highest concentration of children, there is no public park or playground within a safe walking distance of many Pullman homes. This agenda item seeks to begin a coordinated effort to address this longstanding gap and ensure equitable access to recreational space for Pullman families.
Demographic Need and Equity Considerations
According to U.S. Census data for Tract 3810:
● Total population: approximately 9,021 residents
● 23% of residents are under age 18 (over 2,000 children) ● 10% are under age 10
● 32% of households earn less than $50,000 annually
● 20.07% of residents live below the federal poverty line
These figures highlight a critical disparity: Pullman is a working-class neighborhood with a large population of children, including an estimated 900+ low-income youth who lack access to nearby, safe recreational space. Access to parks is strongly linked to improved physical health, mental well-being, and community cohesion, yet Pullman families remain underserved.
Barriers to Park Access
The neighborhood is effectively bound by high-risk transportation infrastructure:
● BART rail lines to the north
● Carlson Boulevard and adjacent railway to the west
● Cutting Boulevard to the south
Carlson Boulevard is widely recognized as one of the most dangerous corridors in the City, with a history of frequent traffic collisions, including serious injuries and fatalities.
These barriers make it unsafe, particularly for children to travel independently to existing parks.
The nearest parks require navigating hazardous routes or travel distances that exceed a reasonable walking range for children:
● Boorman Park (under construction)
● Nicholl Park
● John F. Kennedy Park
April 28, 2026
None are safely or easily accessible on foot for young residents. National park access standards recommend that all residents live within a 10-minute walk (approximately half a mile) of a park. This is a standard that Pullman does not meet.
The absence of a safe, accessible park in Pullman is a long-standing inequity affecting thousands of residents, particularly children in low-income households. We are asking Council to direct staff to work with the Pullman Neighborhood Council to explore acquisition of Parcel # (APN): 513-025-001-1, a vacant lot at South 27th Street and Florida Avenue, to evaluate feasibility, funding opportunities, and development pathways to establish and develop a neighborhood park that serves Pullman families, and to return to Council within 90 days with recommendations and a proposed timeline for next steps. This would be the first step towards resolving this disparity and ensuring that all Richmond residents have access to safe, local spaces for recreation and connection.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – PM_31175
Attachment 2 – Parcel Details # (APN): 513-025-001-1