Grant will develop an accessible community park and gathering space
December 8, 2021 — Sacramento, CA
The California Department of Parks and Recreation has announced that Alchemist Community Development Corporation (Alchemist CDC) will receive a grant of $694,295 to develop the Oak Park Art Garden. The competitive grant is funded by the Prop 68 Statewide Park Program (SPP), Round 4.
“Funds from the Statewide Park Program Grant will transform this highly visible corner lot into a community asset. We partnered with neighbors to identify the amenities they would like and the purpose that they want the Oak Park Art Garden to serve,” remarked Joe Robustelli, Alchemist CDC’s Neighborhood Empowerment Program Manager. “This project will have a tremendous impact on the neighborhood by providing a safe community gathering space, an urban fruit orchard, a place to express themselves through art, and much, much more.”
The Oak Park Art Garden, located at 3834 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Sacramento, CA, was originally created utilizing a land lease agreement (with an option to purchase) to gain access to the site and has existed under private ownership. The Art Garden has been cultivated and designed through intensive community input and volunteer work, as well as contributions from local organizations such as The Sacramento Kings Foundation, Green Acres Nursery, and Sacramento Natural Foods Co-Op. In its present condition, the Oak Park Art Garden includes Sacramento’s first public fruit orchard, a native plant garden, and community-created public art. It also has an amenity-rich urban oasis for passing pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders under construction, funded by SMUD’s Shine program. At present, the Art Garden has no connection to the municipal water supply and depends on the generosity of neighbors to keep its many trees irrigated.
City of Sacramento Vice Mayor Jay Schenirer, District 5, commented, “I am so appreciative of many volunteers and community organizations, who have spent many hours creating the Oak Park Art Garden. With this this State grant, the Garden can come to fruition as a true community and garden space.”
The SPP grant will enable Alchemist CDC to purchase the Oak Park Art Garden property and renovate and build upon the existing Oak Park Art Garden. The work will include adding a pollinator garden, ADA-compliant pathways, edible and native shrubs, more site furnishings (such as benches), a paved patio with shade structure for community events, an artistic gateway entry, solar light poles, and 2 shipping containers for secure storage with murals on the side. The grant will also fund connections to the city’s water and sewer lines to add a bathroom for events, drinking fountain, spigot, and smart irrigation system.
Name of Press Contact (Alchemist CDC): Sam Greenlee, Executive Director
Phone: 916-598-3032
Email: sam@alchemistcdc.org
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
Alchemist Community Development Corporation is a Sacramento-based 501(c)3.