Carol and Roger Wells, with artmuseumsinternational.com, attend the celebration ceremony for the King Street Urban Greening Project in Santa Ana on Monday, July 1, 2024. The 10,000-square feet “pocket” park features murals by one of their “key” website artists, Marina Aguilera. They delivered her 36 yellow roses with hydrangeas. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Salvador Esqueda, a 40-year resident of Santa Ana, attends the opening ceremony of King Street Urban Greening Project on Monday, July 1, 2024. Bright red mosaic flowers by community artist, Marina Aguilera, frame the entryway to the 10,000 square feet park. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Artesia Pilar King Street Urban Greening Project park features a moasic entryway, a stormwater capture system, and artwork by community artist Marina Aguilera in Santa Ana. Officials and community members took part in an opening celebration on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sabastian Miranda, 2, plays in front of a mural by community artist Marina Aguilero, during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the the King Street Urban Greening Project park in Santa Ana on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Emilio Hillenbrand, 5, and his sister Mayla, 6, rest in the shade as they eat homemade tamales in Santa Ana on onday, July 1, 2024. They were at the King Street Urban Greening Project park ribbon-cutting celebration. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Three-year-old twins Mia Sandoval, left, and Emma are fourth-generation residents of the Artesia Pilar neighborhood in Santa Ana. They attend a celebration ceremony on Monday, July 1, 2024, for the new 10,000 square feet “pocket” park featuring a stormwater capture system and historic artwork by community artist Marina Aguilera. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Officials celebrate the opening of King Street Urban Greening Project, a 10,000-square feet “pocket” park in the Artesia Pilar neighborhood of Santa Ana on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Three-year-old Emma Sandoval is a fourth-generation residents of the Artesia Pilar neighborhood in Santa Ana. She attends a celebration ceremony on Monday, July 1, 2024, for the community’s new 10,000 square feet “pocket” park featuring a stormwater capture system and historic artwork by community artist Marina Aguilera. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A bicycle becomes part of the artwork in Santa Ana’s new Artesia Pilar neighborhood park on Monday, July 1, 2024. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Carol and Roger Wells, with artmuseumsinternational.com, attend the celebration ceremony for the King Street Urban Greening Project in Santa Ana on Monday, July 1, 2024. The 10,000-square feet “pocket” park features murals by one of their “key” website artists, Marina Aguilera. They delivered her 36 yellow roses with hydrangeas. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
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Salvador Esqueda, a 40-year resident of Santa Ana, attends the opening ceremony of King Street Urban Greening Project on Monday, July 1, 2024. Bright red mosaic flowers by community artist, Marina Aguilera, frame the entryway to the 10,000 square feet park. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
It was a bit of leftover land not being used; now, it can be used by everyone after a more than $2 million investment.
Community leaders celebrated the opening of a new pocket park on King Street after the 10,000-square-foot asphalt right-of-way at Fairview Street was turned into an amenity for residents with paths for walking or riding a bike, spots to sit among new drought-tolerant landscaping, murals and lighting.
The King Street Urban Greening Project was done by the city in partnership with Caltrans and included a storm-capture system to help with runoff. The bulk of the funding for the project came from the state’s Clean California initiative, but there was also some federal and city funding.
