SHAFTER, Calif. (KERO) — For years, land just west of Highway 43 and south of Fresno Avenue in Shafter has laid barren. Now, work is being done on North Shafter Community Park as the city held a groundbreaking to commemorate the event on Wednesday.
As city staff and elected officials gave their comments on the park, work was being done in the background. However, for North Shafter Community Park, the work began years ago.
"Starting in 2020 in the thick of COVID, we were literally at this project site, meeting with the community, getting their feedback, and actually having them participate in designing this park. Not just what features are going to be included, but where specifically they're going to be in the park design. So, that started 5 years ago, so it's been quite a journey," Shafter Public Works Director Mike James said.
According to James, North Shafter Community Park will feature a playground, splash park, basketball court and pickleball courts, and will serve as the newest community space for Shafter residents. The project is slated to cost approximately $6 million according to Assistant Public Works Director Alex Gonzalez, but $3.8 million is covered by a grant, the remainder will be on the city.
While there are several parks in the core of Shafter, according to Shafter Mayor Chad Givens, the addition of North Shafter Community Park will fill a gap for many residents in the area.
"There's really not a lot of play space for kids in this general area, and so this allows us to have a place for people to come and enjoy their time, enjoy their time with family, and not have to cross over barriers. Our rail crossings or Highway 43 or going across Lerdo (Highway) to try to get into one of the other parks. There's not a lot of spaces in this area in general, and this is really what we want to see for them," Givens said.
According to James, the park has cleared several hurdles and with construction already started, the park is slated to be ready for Shafter residents to head out and enjoy at some point next summer.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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