Community members have been seeking updates on the revitalization project for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Park. During the June 10 city council meeting, Jovon Dangerfield, Executive Director for Transitional Youth Mobilizing for Change (TYM4C), spoke during public comment, asking the council to allocate money to the project and make it a priority. Council member Andrae Gonzales stated that $3 million in the proposed city budget will be allocated for MLK Park.
According to Rick Anthony, assistant city manager, the design of the outdoor spaces for the park is about 95 percent complete. They hope to have the design finished by late fall or early winter and to start the bidding process by January to secure a contractor. If everything continues to go well, he stated that they hope to have a groundbreaking ceremony in February or March of 2027. Anthony stated that the $3 million from the city budget would assist with a match grant they received from the federal government for $11.9 million.
“It’s what we call a matching, reimbursable grant, which means the city has to spend before the full amount, which would be 20, a little over 24 million, and then we can bill the government for half of that amount. So, as you know, that’s quite a bit of money for the city to come up with, so the match really helps us, and making sure that we protect that 11.9 million grant that we got,” said Anthony.
Understanding that some community members have shown frustration with the timeline of the project, Anthony explained that it is similar to other “significant capital projects” and that even though it has been a drawn-out process, it remains a priority.
“When you add in the fact that our economy is also suffering right now, and so many other priorities that the city has had to address, including sewer rates and budget cuts, then certainly it’s hard to keep the momentum and the pace of a project this significant,” said Anthony. “So, that’s kind of a little bit of why it kind of is drawn out, but I’m very pleased that even though we had to kind of push pause a little bit on the urgency of getting the park done, the priority of getting that park done still remains, and I’m happy that the council, city manager, and the community is still engaged and supportive of our efforts, even if they are a little slow moving.”
For the community, part of their engagement has consisted of attending city council meetings to ask that they continue to prioritize the project. TYM4C, which adopted the park in 2023, spoke about what changes they’d like to see in the park. Leslie Peralta, a youth coordinator with TYM4C, said after the meeting that the revitalization is more than just upgrading a park; it’s a way to pour into the community.
“It’s about helping the community there at Southeast Bakersfield, as well as having them feel like they have been heard,” said Peralta. Having them feel like they have a safe place where families actually enjoy going. Where you feel that they’re protected there, rather than feeling that if they stray too close to a corner that something bad is going to happen.”
Safety was a major concern for Peralta; she stated that they have done park cleanups where they find needles and drug paraphernalia, making it dangerous for kids to play there.
“We find a lot of our evidence there, and it’s just too dangerous for a lot of the youth and for a lot of the kids just playing in that area,” explained Peralta. “It’s also a really big problem because there’s an elementary attached to it, and a lot of them have to walk through that. If it’s not the middle schoolers walking through it to pick up their younger siblings, it’s their younger siblings meeting up with their older siblings, and they’re crossing through that. It’s devastating to see that they feel that it’s just not safe for them.”
Anthony stated that a combined effort between community members, such as TYM4C and others who have dedicated time to keeping the park clean, has helped with making progress with safety concerns, along with the rangers, who have been a big help as well in making change.
“The rangers have been instrumental already in MLK. I can tell you for a fact, when I got here five years ago, it was similar to a war zone there, in terms of just the neglect and the entrenched encampment. And you don’t see that today,” said Anthony. “Still not great. Still a lot of work to get done, but it gives you hope that progress has been made, and that we can continue to build on that progress.”
Evelyn Young, President of the Black Farmers Association, spoke about the importance of having a third space for community members to go to, such as MLK Park.
“It’s called a third space, so you’ve got home, you’ve got work and then the park serves as a third space, which is a place of community gathering. It’s a place where people can come together, and form relationships, and get to know one another,” said Young. “I want to emphasize that it’s not just the physical amenities. It’s the meaning that it gives to this community. A place where people can come and feel a sense of belonging.”
Young explained that she feels there is still a lingering sense of isolation since the COVID-19 pandemic and that having a third space can help alleviate it. For the physical aspect of the park, Young stated she’d like to see a lot of trees as well to mitigate the heat, provide a cooler area for the community, and add to the beautification of the park. Her dream version of the park is one that she would consider worthy of the people in the community, and to carry the name Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“It is worthy of people in this part of town who have been neglected for so long. So I’m looking for something that is lush, and green, and vibrant, that elevates,” said Young. “That not only is a beautiful physical place to be, but it uplifts our emotional state of mind, our mental well-being.”
Both Young and Anthony spoke about the project being personal to them because they would attend the park when they were younger. Young stated that MLK Park and the Friendship House used to be where people went for community resources and information.
“Those were the pillars of where we got our information and resources. And MLK Boulevard, when I was growing up, it was vibrant. There were businesses, my parents had a cafe, and then we had a church I used to sing at my dad’s tent revivals, on, we called, it was Lake View Avenue, then, but it was robust, and it was vital, and it was aligned with energy, and people in the community interacting. And you don’t see that, and sense that, so much now, because resources have not been poured into it, but it’s time to revitalize,” said Young.
Anthony shared the same sentiment of feeling a sense of community and belonging at the park.
“I played church softball on the softball field, and got to know many people that I even know today, and got reconnected today after being gone for 30 years, just because of the experiences that we shared at MLK Park. So, yeah, a little bit, for me, coming back was a little personal, because I knew the impact that it had on me personally in my life, and upbringing, and that story resonates with probably anybody that you meet, especially in the black and brown community. Because that was what we had. That was our place.”
He continued to say that his hope for the revitalization project is that it serves as a catalyst for change.
“That it would be a legacy project for the city, that it would be a catalyst for change for that community, because when you have a vibrant space, then what does it do? It gives pride to the people that are around the spaces. It attracts businesses, and it drives out a lot of the nuisance issues that we face,” said Anthony. “So I am very, I’m gonna say, not even just hopeful, but confident that this investment is a worthwhile investment, and that it has the ability to really transform a generation that are living there now, especially the younger kids that haven’t experienced an opportunity to have a vibrant park.”
