West Long Beach residents are one step closer to more green space, after the Wrigley Heights River Park Project received $19.3 million in grants for land acquisition and park planning.
The grants were approved at the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy’s (RMC) board meeting on Jan. 22. The money will go to the Watershed Conservation Authority’s acquisition and restoration of six acres of land owned by the Jeanne E. McDonald Revocable Trust.
Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga serves on the RMC board and was one of the “yes” votes in the unanimous approval. Councilmember Megan Kerr, whose district will contain the project, also sent in a letter of support to the RMC.
Sixteen million dollars will be used for the purchase of the land, while the remaining $3.3 million will be used on planning the Wrigley Heights River Park Project. Planning funds will be used on community engagement, site clearance and environmental services such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reports. A partnership with the Long Beach Conservation Corps will be explored during site development, according to staff reports.
According to planning documents, the project is estimated to be completed by March 31, 2028.
Long Beach City Council approved a plan along with the RMC to turn this land along the Los Angeles River into green space in 2015. This plan is the most updated version of the Wrigley Heights River Park Project, according to a spokesperson with the Riverpark Coalition.
The land was originally part of the North Long Beach Oil Field until operations there ceased in the mid ‘80s. Multiple environmental studies have been conducted on the soil and surrounding air that found the space to be nontoxic and ready for green space use, according to RMC reports.
The Long Beach Open Space and Recreation Element set a goal of 8 acres of green space per 1,000 residents citywide. While residents on the eastside of the city have an average of 17 acres per 1,000 residents, the westside is at two acres per 1,000 residents.
Long Beach-based nonprofit Riverpark Coalition has been advocating for use of the space for West Long Beach residents for years.
“Riverpark Coalition’s community and environmental advocacy, alongside LA Waterkeeper, will continue to unequivocally convey a powerful message: the well-being of our community, the preservation and creation of vital green spaces, and the quality of life for our children are paramount and worth every ounce of our collective effort.” said Juan Ovalle, President of the Riverpark Coalition in a public statement.
The Wrigley Heights River Park Project is part of the RMC’s Lower LA River Revitalization Plan.
The land is one of the last two remaining undeveloped tracts along the Los Angeles River in Long Beach, located at the site of the former driving range at 3701 Pacific Place, where Pacific Avenue/Place ends at the north on-ramps to the I-405 and I-710 freeways.
The City’s original vision connected green space areas in the westside with each other as well as with neighborhoods and the Los Angeles River greenway.
Riverpark Coalition and LA Waterkeeper are both fighting against the proposed development of a self-storage unit and recreational vehicle storage lot that would be adjacent to the Wrigley Heights River Park project. The organizations pushed for an Environmental Impact Report in 2021 and is still opposing the development of these sites for industrial and commercial purposes.
According to a spokesperson with the Riverpark Coalition, the California Department of General Services still needs to review the appraisal and accompanying environmental reports.
To stay up to date on developments of the Wrigley Heights River Park project, residents should sign up for the RMC’s newsletter. Specific questions can be sent to info@rmc.ca.gov.
To receive specific updates on the project and opportunities for public input, residents should sign up for the Riverpark Coalition’s newsletter.
