The City of Anaheim will buy land along the Santa Ana River and build a new park at the location, after its city council approved $200,000 for the purchase during its June 13 meeting.
The 3-acre park will feature trails, a butterfly garden, a children’s playground, and exercise stations, according to city officials.
The city is purchasing the property from the Orange County Flood Control District.
“We’re always looking for ways to add more park space in our city, whether that’s through a new park or adding acreage to existing parks,” city spokeswoman Erin Ryan told The Epoch Times.
The parcel of slender land is located between a portion of the parking at Angel Stadium and the Santa Ana River Trail, and the city believes creating such a destination will activate the underutilized space along the river, Ryan said.
“We’re a largely built-out city, so we [need to] find creative ways to increase the amount of park space that we can offer residents,” she said.
The cost to build the park is estimated at $4.5 million and will be paid for with development funds for what’s known as the Platinum Triangle—an area that covers the stadium as well as the Honda Center and the Grove of Anaheim—and the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, according to officials.
Construction is expected to start in 2025 and be completed in 2026.
The location was once a homeless encampment and was cleared by the city in 2018, according to the Orange County Register.
