OCEANSIDE — The playground at Cesar Chavez Park in the Crown Heights neighborhood recently received much-needed upgrades.
The playground replacement occurred over the summer after the City Council approved a $200,000 contract with Dave Bang Associates in March to demolish and install the new playground and its surfacing.
Funding for the work came from a Community Development Block Grant for the Crown Heights community.
The CDBG program provides federal funding for revitalizing neighborhoods and improving communities.
After the playground project received $300,000 in December last year through the program, the city conducted public outreach to better understand what changes the residents wanted to see in the park.
Based on community input, staff adjusted the project scope to include swings for the first time in the park’s history.
Residents also requested new picnic tables with more benches around the playground and a water fountain with a water bottle filling station.
“Crown Heights needed a revitalized area where children could come together to play,” said Parks and Recreation Director Manuel Gonzalez. “We’re excited to create recreational opportunities that reflect the voices that we heard from the community.”
According to Kymberly Corbin, an associate engineer with the city, the project was completed under budget, which means the remaining funds could go toward other improvements in the park.
“Staff is looking at additional items that can be done at Cesar Chavez Park in relation to the playground, such as an extension of the fence to encompass the park or reallocating the remaining funds to be used elsewhere,” Corbin said via email.
The city also recently completed another nearby $225,000 CDBG-funded project in Crown Heights to construct accessible pedestrian sidewalk ramps and safer crosswalks.
