With the final $516,000 in gifts and grants pending toward the total goal of $7.5M, construction can begin. Enjoy this wonderful “bird’s eye flight” through the new park design courtesy of Aune Fernandez Landscape Architects, who created the design.
Why create a park as a public/private partnership? Experience and data have shown that when the community makes a private investment in its parks and public spaces, those parks thrive more over time. Residents and visitors take more care of a park when they know private dollars and volunteers make the space possible. The ongoing city/community partnership leads to quicker and better maintenance and safety solutions. It also leads to more community cohesion as neighbors care for a park together and forge relationships with the city staff who manage it.
Finally, making a personal investment honors the philanthropic origins of Pedro Park. Like many of our downtown parks (Mears, Rice, Irvine), Pedro began with a generous gift and vision from a family who wanted to improve the city where they made their livelihood and their home for generations after arriving as immigrants. Pedro Park is not the story of one family, but of hundreds of neighbors who have poured hours of time and talent into forging the newest downtown park. A gift of time or treasure to Pedro Park forms a legacy we can all enjoy.