Broadway Parque opens in South Tower where old Police substation was

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Kiel Lopez-Schmidt grew up successful South Tower, arrogant of his neighborhood, helium was anxious to marque it better.

So, backmost successful 2017 erstwhile helium heard the erstwhile constabulary presumption astatine the country of Broadway and Elizabeth would soon beryllium demolished, helium took enactment to marque definite neighbors had a accidental successful what it would become.

"We started talking to immoderate of the neighbors, going door-to-door surveying with folks to spot what the somesthesia was, and what radical wanted to spot present and resoundingly 96% of radical responded that they wanted to spot a park," says Lopez-Schmidt.

That's erstwhile the thought for Broadway Parque was born!

Neighbors hosted plan meetings, showed up astatine metropolis hall, and adjacent formed their ain nonprofit, The South Tower Community Land Trust to support the imagination going.

But it wasn't until voters were capable to walk Measure P that their imagination became reality.

"That was the existent infinitesimal this changed from a scrappy, similar we're going to spell and bargain immoderate sod and immoderate writer effect to marque it hap ourselves, to the constituent wherever we're going to get existent concern successful this parkland from the city," says Lopez-Schmidt.

Eight years of hard enactment led them to this moment. Officials unveiled the finished parkland connected Thursday.

The shiny caller parkland was yet unfastened and acceptable for play!

"If you got an thought of what you privation to spot successful your neighborhood, beryllium persistent support showing up. Keep checking with your neighbors and what collectively you privation to spot together," says Lopez-Schmidt.

Each facet of the parkland was designed with families astatine apical of mind, from the plaything to the playground, the shadiness and adjacent the brushed factual connected the ground.

Kids wasted nary clip trying retired the caller features.

"It's ace cool. I similar that it has the spinner thing, I similar the swings, and there's a batch of radical here," says Ava, South Tower Resident.

Even Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer got successful connected each the fun.

"That's what this parkland is each about, seeing kids smile, seeing families travel together. I worked astatine aboriginal portion of my vocation from Officer to Sergeant and Lieutenant. I worked close present connected the site, truthful seeing it converted to a parkland I deliberation is simply a overmuch amended use," says Mayor Dyer.

A demand, and a plan, this parkland proving that assemblage voices matter.

This is conscionable the opening for Broadway Parque arsenic they program connected putting a mural connected the ceramic partition and besides program to hole the sidewalks and surrounding areas to marque definite that it's easier for families to get to the park.

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