A project to create more park space in North Long Beach’s Hamilton neighborhood will get a boost from $1.2 million in federal funding that was announced this week.
The Hamilton Loop, a greenbelt that would run along both sides of the 91 Freeway between Atlantic and Cherry avenues, would create usable outdoor recreation spaces from what are now fenced-off embankments next to sound walls that line the freeway.
The project will offer amenities such as a pedestrian path and bike lane, play and fitness equipment, a dog run, landscaping and gardens, according to a fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which announced the grant funds.
“This is something that we’ve been pushing for” for at least eight years, said Jerry Fink, who lives in the area. “We desperately need park space in this neighborhood.”
Jane Grobaty, spokesperson for the Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine Department, said the next step is for the City Council to officially accept the money, then a consultant will be hired to solicit community input and design the project. The city also will need to hammer out an agreement with Caltrans, which owns the freeway-adjacent land and is “very supportive” of the Hamilton Loop proposal, Grobaty said.
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Because the full project could cost up to $30 million, the city would likely build it in phases as money becomes available. Last year, city leaders asked Long Beach’s state and federal representatives to support requests covering $10 million of the construction costs.
The loop project may take a while to complete, Grobaty said, but “at least [the $1.2 million is] a step and it’s really needed in that neighborhood.”
The Hamilton neighborhood is one of the most park-poor areas of the city. As of 2021, the area had less than an acre of green space per 1,000 residents, compared with a citywide average of 5.6 acres of parks per 1,000 people.
As a measure of residents’ enthusiasm, Fink said, more than 1,000 people turned out for an earlier series of city workshops to learn about, suggest and vote on ideas for their new green space.
The Hamilton Loop project has seen a few setbacks, like the decision to add a lane to the freeway, Fink said, so “any step we can get closer is welcome.”