FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Kiel Lopez-Schmidt grew up in South Tower. Proud of his neighborhood, he was eager to make it better.
Back in 2017, when he heard the former police station at the corner of Broadway and Elizabeth would soon be demolished, he took action to make sure neighbors had a say in what it would become.
“We started talking to some of the neighbors, going door-to-door surveying with folks to see what the temperature was, and what people wanted to see here. Resoundingly, 96% of people responded that they wanted to see a park,” says Lopez-Schmidt.
That’s when the idea for Broadway Parque was born.
Neighbors hosted design meetings, showed up at city hall and even formed their own nonprofit, The South Tower Community Land Trust, to keep the dream going.
It wasn’t until voters were able to pass Measure P that their dream became reality.
“That was the real moment this changed from a scrappy, like we’re going to go and buy some sod and some grass seed to make it happen ourselves, to the point where we’re going to get real investment in this park from the city,” says Lopez-Schmidt.
Eight years of hard work led them to this moment. Officials unveiled the finished park on Thursday.
The shiny new park was finally open and ready for play.
“If you have an idea of what you want to see in your neighborhood, be persistent, keep showing up. Keep checking with your neighbors and what collectively you want to see together,” says Lopez-Schmidt.
Each aspect of the park was designed with families at the top of mind, from the swing to the playground, the shade and even the soft concrete on the ground.
Kids wasted no time trying out the new features.
“It’s super cool. I like that it has the spinner thing, I like the swings, and there are a lot of people here,” says Ava, South Tower Resident.
Even Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer got in on all the fun.
“That’s what this park is all about — seeing kids smile, seeing families come together. I worked at the early part of my career from Officer to Sergeant and Lieutenant. I worked right here on the site, so seeing it converted to a park, I think, is a much better use,” says Mayor Dyer.
A demand and a plan, this park proves that community voices matter.
This is just the beginning for Broadway Parque as they plan on putting a mural on the brick wall, and also plan to fix the sidewalks and surrounding areas to make sure that it’s easier for families to get to the park.
