Neighborhood Parks Council: District Park Planning



	Home About Us Events News Park Groups Playground Campaign District Park Planning ParkScan Nature in the City Publications Park Histories Get Involved Links Internships Giving to NPC Contact Us	Calendar \| Minutes \| Park Groups \| RPD Budget Crisis \| Seminars \| Survey Results \| Binders Friends of Helen Wills Park Organize to Raise Funds Helen Wills Playground is a chunk of asphalt, concrete and rusted chain link fencing at the west entrance to the Broadway Tunnel. The play equipment has been removed due to physical safety and chemical contamination issues. The clubhouse is an almost windowless bunker. Neighbors who gathered to press for improvements at the playground realized 2 things: That they wanted major changes for their park; And that the 2000 Parks Bond and Open Space funds allocated were not going to be sufficient to make their wish list a reality. So the Friends of Helen Wills Park (proposed changes include a new name to reflect the park's multi-generational appeal and added greenery) have used a variety of methods to double the allocated funds. The Russian Hill Neighbors donated the proceeds of their yearly block parties, providing valuable seed money for the project. The owners of nearby Allegro restaurant sponsored a fundraising brunch. Local architects Holt Hinshaw donated pro bono services at the start of the project. Supervisor Aaron Peskin and Assemblywoman Carole Migden helped secure a local assistance grant from the State of California to subsidize the design development and construction document phases of the project. But the best news came recently when the State of California's Department of Parks & Recreation announced that the project was one of 44 projects statewide. The grant - $1.5 million - doubles the available funds and should allow the project to move into bidding and construction. Plans call for the rebuilding of the park to be completed by 2004. The Friends of Helen Wills Park are deeply grateful to Angela, Lizzy and Capital Plan Manager Gary Hoy for their guidance and assistance. It can be done! And we encourage park volunteers to join in the effort to extend the funds available for our city's parks. --Julie Christensen, Friends of Helen Wills « Back to District Park Planning