27 years of plans, proposals and promises
Friends of Lincoln Square Park was formed in 2017 to advance the community vision for a new recreation and community resiliency center in Oakland Chinatown, with a renewed sense of urgency after decades of hopeful anticipation.
As we enter another budget cycle and revision of the City’s Capital Improvement Program, it’s a fitting time to reflect back on 27 years of meetings, city plans, proposals and political promises to expand the center capacity to better serve the community.
Our community vision has endured through 6 mayors, a dozen budget cycles and a handful of council members, with talk of a new center dating back as far as 1996 (and likely earlier). While other areas of the park have been improved over the years, an entire generation has grown up with unfulfilled expectations for the rec center building. Here are are some of the past plans and proposals over the years.
1996
Oakland develops an Open Space, Conservation and Recreation (OSCAR) Element, including plans and policies that address the management of parks.
The report notes that Lincoln receives very heavy use and “would benefit from some greening of asphalt areas, an upgraded children’s play area, and an enclosed outdoor patio area adjacent to the rec center.” (5-12)
2006
A master plan is developed by the City and Dillingham Associates which proposed expanded capacity at the park by building out the outdoor areas around the center. The plan to expand the center was not implemented.
2007
The Life Enrichment Committee (With Council members Desley Brooks, Jean Quan, Henry Chang, and Pat Kernighan), discuss the process of capital improvement prioritization by district. District 2 Councilmember Kernighan, representing Oakland Chinatown notes the Lincoln Square Park Plan is her District’s top capital improvement priority.
2010
After numerous community meetings established the need for a larger center, the City proposes a plan to add 6,400 sf to the center in a two-story annex. The City applies for Prop 84 park funding from the State, but the project does not get selected. Ultimately 26 million in Prop 84 funds are awarded to 7 Oakland Parks, but none were in Oakland Chinatown, downtown or Eastlake.
2014
The City approved the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan for the area around the BART station after several years of extensive studies and community engagement. In this plan, it was acknowledged that Chinatown is in need of more parks and recreation services and the park capacity needed to be increased to accommodate the increase in density planned. It also noted, “priority should be given to improvements to existing spaces that are very well-used, such as Lincoln Recreation Center.”
2015
Lincoln is included as park priority for District 2, but is remains unfunded in the City’s 2015-2017 Capital Improvement Program.
2016
Another plan was developed by the City with Keller Mitchell & Company to build out a patio and outdoor gym at the corner of 10th and Webster. This plan was paused as efforts to replace the building picked up steam.
2017
Friends of Lincoln Square Park begins meeting with Councilmember Abel Guilen. He and Oakland Public Works host a community meeting with over 300 attendees to gather ideas and discuss plans for a larger recreation center. CM Guilen pledges his support, but shares a sobering reality: Other recreation centers took over 12 years to build.
2017-2019
The City allocated $400,000 in the Capital Improvement Plan for a feasibility study, but did not fund the project. Instead, it was listed as one of seven alternate projects for Measure KK. It was noted in the report that “The Lincoln Recreation Center is aged, crowded, in need of upgrades, and has been previously identified for an expansion project that has gone through numerous robust community engagement processes.”
2018
Community supporters of Friends of Lincoln Square Park self-funded a conceptual design plan in partnership with Byrens Kim Design Works. A needs analysis for programming space was also conducted, concluding the center needs to be nearly triple the size to meet existing demand.
2019
Friends of Lincoln Square Park intensified advocacy efforts by attending multiple budget forums and urging then current Mayor Schaaf to support the project during the City’s 2-year budgeting season. Friends also speaks in support of the project at the City Council meeting approving the Capital Improvement Plan.
2019
Friends of Lincoln Square Park submitted a proposal as part of the new Capital Improvement Program that ranked all proposed projects based on a range of factors. Once scored, the Lincoln Square Park Recreation Center was the highest scoring Parks and Rec project, and one of the highest scoring (8th out of 176 projects) priorities city-wide. Equity was considered for the first time.
The 1.7 million set aside in the 2019-2021 budget is to be used to begin the planning process and select a design firm.
2019
The City, in partnership with Friends of Lincoln Square Park, develops and submits a conceptual plan for a new center to the State of California’s Prop 68 State Parks Grant program. Despite scoring as high as we possibly could, the project was not selected for funding. Over $5 million is awarded to two other park projects in the City.
2019
Friends of Lincoln Square Park begins meeting with Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas who who holds another large community meeting to gather feedback and plan for a new recreation center. Over 200 residents come out to support the project.
2020
Oakland approves the 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP) with the intent to open three resiliency hubs in frontline communities. The plan notes, “Oakland’s recreation centers, for example, can be brought up to 21st Century community needs by providing filtered and cool air for climate-intensified heat, smoke, and poor air quality days.”
Recommendation A-1:
Fund Creation and Operation of Resilience Hubs: By 2022, identify and prioritize specific resilience needs and gaps in frontline communities, and assess feasibility of establishing Resilience Hubs at both municipal and community facilities in areas with prioritized gaps. By 2025, partner with established community resilience groups to co-develop and pilot three Resilience Hubs: community-serving facilities that support residents year-round and support resource distribution and onsite services before, during, or after a natural hazard event.
Goal 6:
Community Resources and Open Space • Improve existing parks and recreation centers, including improving access to existing parks; and add new parks and recreation centers to serve higher housing density and increased number of jobs.
2021
Undeterred by the pandemic and two previously unsuccessful proposals to the state, Friends of Lincoln Square Park supports the City in submitting yet another State Parks Grant application. This time, the project is awarded a Prop 68 grant for 8.5 million dollars!
2021
As part of the 2021-2023 Capital Improvement Plan, Friends of Lincoln Square Park and Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) submitted the center project once again, asking to support to fully fund the Community Resiliency Center features requested by the community. The project was once again one of the highest ranked recreation center projects and was partially funded with an additional $2,341,200 from Measure KK funds.
I am very, very excited that this long awaited project to invigorate the Lincoln Center, the heartbeat of this community, is moving forward. The City would not necessarily have achieved this milestone on its own, but the work that the community has done has gotten us here. That's how the most meaningful things get done in the city, when community comes together to make it happen. You all have done an amazing job and whatever momentum, equity work in the city has added was effort well spent to support the community’s vision. I'm grateful to be here to celebrate with you, because this community deserves a durable and energized anchor, that functions to stabilize and support the residents of Oakland, who through sustained commitment are making it a reality.
-Darlene Flynn, Department of Race and Equity
2022
The city puts another bond measure on the ballot to replace the expiring KK funds. Measure U passed in November 2022, with over $150 million dollars to be invested in nearby facilities, open space and parks. Lincoln is listed in the staff report under parks and facilities that need funding from Measure U.
2023
Friends of Lincoln Square Park, along with other members of the Oakland Chinatown Coalition met with new Mayor Sheng Thao to discuss neighborhood priorities. One of the top issues discussed was he need to complete the rec center project once and for all. The Mayor expressed her support for the project.
While we’ve waiting a long time, we’ve never been closer to bringing these plans to reality. Join Friends of Lincoln Square Park or make a donation to ensure the new recreation center is completed without delay!