After two decades of waiting, families in Southwest Bakersfield gathered alongside city leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of Antongiovanni Park. The 16-acre park located near Miller Elementary School will be built in phases and include playgrounds, dog parks, sports courts, walking trails, picnic areas, and a spray park.

During Saturday’s groundbreaking ceremony, Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh stated that the park represents more than just new infrastructure.

“We are gathered together for a wonderful celebration. We’re not just breaking ground. We’re going to plant possibilities,” she said. “What’s going to come up from the ground is not just going to be grass or playgrounds or even a splash pad. What we’re going to get to hear is the laughter of these children. We’re going to hear memories.” 

Goh went on to state that parks serve as spaces where multiple generations can come together, from toddlers taking their first steps to grandparents watching families grow. 

“Parks remind us that a great city isn’t just measured by buildings, but it’s those spaces where together we can connect,” she said. “Antongiovanni Park is going to be that space where our community will connect. It’s going to enrich lives for decades and decades and decades.”

The park is named after the Antongiovanni family, longtime Bakersfield residents who donated the land years ago. City officials acknowledged the lengthy delay in the project’s development.

“It’s been a long time waiting,” said Fidel Gonzalez, park construction facilities planner for the City of Bakersfield. “No one wants to admit it, but yeah, it’s been over 20 years since this park has been dedicated by Kevin’s family.”

According to Gonzalez, the first construction phase is expected to begin later this summer and will include a large and a small dog park, a picnic shelter, and two playground areas.

Future phases are expected to add basketball courts, sand volleyball courts, tennis and pickleball courts, a spray park, restroom facilities, community gathering spaces, and additional landscaping.

Bakersfield Vice Mayor and Ward 7 Councilmember Manpreet Kaur, whose district includes the neighborhood, said residents repeatedly raised concerns about the unfinished park while she campaigned door-to-door before taking office.

“I still remember when I was walking door to door in these neighborhoods when I was running for City Council,” Kaur said. “People just wanted to see their park come to life. There are families who moved in because a park was going to be in their neighborhood, and it’s been 17 years. They would tell me, ‘My kid’s already in college, and they may not be able to play at the park,’ but when this park comes online, they can still run here. They can still play pickleball and tennis.”

Kaur said the project reflects a broader vision for creating walkable, community-centered neighborhoods.

“When you think about what makes a city beautiful and what makes a community wholesome, it’s having a school next to a park, next to homes, next to sidewalks that you can walk on to walk to that park and walk to those schools,” she said. “As our city grows and as our community grows, these are the types of communities that we look to invest in and look to see come to life.”

She also highlighted the city’s efforts to involve residents in designing the park through community meetings held at Miller Elementary School.

“My priority was to make sure that whatever we put down at this park is coming directly from you all, from the neighbors who are going to enjoy this park,” Kaur said. “We brought City Hall to Miller Elementary School and made sure we had an opportunity for you all to draw what you wanted to see.”

Children attending the event were invited to share what they hoped to do at the future park, with answers ranging from playing football and using the swings to exploring with friends.

“My favorite thing that I get to do at parks is how I can play with my friends and have a great life,” said Aziz, a Miller Elementary student.

Kaur said the project ultimately belongs to the community and future generations who will use it for years to come.

“This vision is coming true, and this promise that we are keeping as a city is to them and the next generation who’s going to enjoy this park,” Kaur said. “This is your park.”