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RAIMONDI PROJECT INFORMATION:
PROJECT LOCATION: Ernie
Raimondi Park is a 10.2 acre park located between 18th and 20th
Street and Wood and Campbell in West Oakland. The park is located in a
primarily industrial area but the area is currently undergoing development.
PHASE 1 COMPLETED:
On Oct. 5th, 2008 Raimondi Park had it's official reopening celebration after a
successful Phase 1. In this phase a new artificially surfaced
multi-purpose regulation size sports field was completed and striped for
football and soccer. A secondary field that will be also artificially
surfaced is phase 2 was regraded, irrigated and sodded in Phase 1 to make it
immediately playable. Also, at these fields sports lights were added
around both the turf and sod field for evening play and a portion of the
bleachers and one scoreboard was installed. In addition, a new high school
level Baseball Diamond was built complete with bullpens and dugouts. Along
with these new sports fields the park was opened up and many additional
community elements were added including an 8-hole putting green, new tot lot, an
open grass area and accessible pathways and site lighting. We are thrilled
with the success of Phase 1 and are now working on incorporating additional
elements from Phase 2 as well as working on a fundraising campaign to complete
the Master Plan.
PRIOR CONDITIONS:
Ernie Raimondi Park was a primarily open grass field with a baseball diamond and
small tot lot. A restroom/locker facility is also located on site off of 18th
St. The park has a fence surrounding the perimeter of the park. The park is one
of the main sports field locations for the office of Oakland Parks and
Recreation. It is heavily used by soccer clubs, East Bay Warriors Football and
is McClymond’s High School home baseball field. There is high demand for the
fields and the park throughout the year but due to turf conditions the field
had to be closed at least three months a year due to weather conditions and longer
in years of heavy rain. There was also not park lighting which meant play needed
to stop early once daylight savings time begins. There was also limited use by
the local community as the fields are often reserved and asides from a tot lot
on the outside of the fence there are no other open playable elements.
PROJECT HISTORY: Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation in cooperation
with the City of Oakland, local sports teams, the West Oakland Commerce
Association and local community members have developed a Master Plan Design for
Ernie Raimondi Park. The park would include 2 multi-purpose artificially
surfaced regulation size playing fields that would be striped for soccer and
football. The baseball diamond would be demolished and rebuilt in a new
location in the park that will provide a better configuration based on lowering
interference with the sun during play and allowing us to build the new open
community elements by the entrance of the park and close to the restroom
facilities. A lighted ADA accessible promenade pathway through the park will be
included and minor ADA upgrades to the building. Additional elements include
open grass space on the outside of the two multi-purpose fields, a tot lot and
older play structure, picnic area, quiet garden, and an artificially surfaced
putting green. A walking/running pathway will encircle the baseball diamond.
The sports fields will include scoreboards, bleachers, sports lights and PA
systems for games. It is our belief that the artificial surfacing and lights on
the field will increase playing time significantly by allowing the fields to be
played year round and into the evening hours seven days a week. Our goal was to
significantly improve the sports elements of the park so the park can be
utilized for events and games be a model sports park for the City but also to
balance this with making sure there were open elements that the community could
utilize and access even when the sports fields are reserved. We also believe
the increased availability of time the sports fields are accessible will allow
for OPR and other clubs to provide more programs for local youth. We are also
working with the ADA to make the park accessible and a possible spot in the
future for the Special Olympics or other such events.
The park design was developed
with the input of a steering committee that consisted of various park
stakeholders along with three community meetings. The funding we have received
to date for the park has been primarily through grants and private fundraising.
Due to grant constraints and ongoing momentum we are phasing the parks
construction. We must break ground by the end of September or will lose a
substantial grant. The Master Park design is estimated to be around a $7
million construction budget and we currently have around $3 million for
construction. Phase 1 will consist of 1 of the two multi-purpose fields, the
baseball diamond, a portion of the tot lot component, an accessible path of
travel through the park, minor ADA building improvements, improvements along 18th
street sidewalk and the putting green. The sports lighting for the
multi-purpose field will be included in phase one and the wiring for all the
intended lighting. We will be including as an add-alternate to include the
sports lighting for both multi-purpose fields.
Friends and the City are
committed to seeing the entire Master Plan implemented. We are looking at
long term funding sources for implementing Phase 2.
Further Information:
Master Plan Design Plan
Phasing Plan
Additional Funding Needs
4x8 Brick Form - $250
8x8 Brick Form - $500
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