Long Beach will begin the pre-planning stages of a Martin Luther King Jr. Park vision plan, and residents were generous with suggestions at a Tuesday, April 5 council meeting.
“We haven’t seen improvement in this park, this historical and cultural park, in a long time […] little upgrades have been made, but more needs to be done,” said Councilmember Suely Saro, who authored the item. “And it needs to be done with the community. It has to be a community-driven vision.”
A line of public commenters gave their recommendations: a basketball court, an afterschool softball program, a Black history museum or artist pop-up, partnerships with community organizations and increased programming for youth.
“[Your] feedback is what the visioning process is: hearing what hasn’t been done, hearing the historical disinvestment that’s been made,” Saro said. “What does it take to make you feel like this is a community park that is fit for your children, our elders?”
Formerly known as the 19th Street Playground, the 1.17-acre park was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Park in 1968, according to the City’s website. In 1970, an expansion increased the park space to 5.86 acres and added a ball field, game courts, tennis court and community recreation center.
Thanks to federal and state funding, the park was again expanded by 3 acres, including the addition of an outdoor swimming pool. The pool was enclosed in 1996 and is now integrated within the Boys and Girls Club.
Residents commented widely on the decline of the park.
“There’s no sports in our park. We used to have sports, we used to have baseball games,” resident Nina Younger said during public comment. “There’s nothing.”
Resident Sean Earl said his father took him to Martin Luther King Jr. Park when he was a child to teach him about what King stood for.
“That park is a reflection of what the community is right now,” Earl said. “The community is poor, down and they don’t have nothing to lose, because they don’t know nothing else.”
Councilmember Cindy Allen said she spent time at the park in the ‘80s and even then became “keenly aware” that “it was not like other parks.”
“I know in 1996 they added a pool, they’ve done some things there, but not enough,” Allen said from the dais. “It’s not enough and I stand with you.”
City staff were also charged with identifying funding for a visioning process as the City’s budget cycle draws nearer.
“We’re suffering in that area. There is no structure. There is no financial backing for that structure,” resident Freddie Johnson said. “If you were ever a child, this moment is your responsibility to make sure that environment is better, and they have better choices to make, regardless of their situation.”
The visioning process will include resident and stakeholder feedback that will be synthesized by both the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department and the Public Works Department.
Many parks throughout the City have undergone visioning before funding for improvements has been identified.
Vice Mayor Rex Richardson said that, in his experience with Houghton Park, “you have to start with a vision and the money follows.”
