Chittick Occidental Donation

Chittick Occidental Donation 

(from left) Drew Satariano, Executive Director Partners of Parks; Mayor Bob Foster; Stephen I. Chazen, President and CEO Occidental Petroleum Corporation; 6th District Councilmember Dee Andrews; and Geoffrey King, President Partners of Parks. Photo courtesy of the City of Long Beach

Five months after a groundbreaking signaled the ceremonial start to long-awaited re-construction at dusty Chittick Field, Occidental Petroleum Corporation stepped forward Monday with a $1 million donation that will be added to the more than $6 million in county grants and bonds that will turn the 16-acre Central Long beach site into a full-service sports facility. 

Phase one of the project is expected to begin mid-April and will include the construction of two youth soccer fields, one adult soccer field, one regulation football field, a 400-meter all weather track-and-field track, a parking lot for approximately 136 vehicles and a bike path connecting the area to the nearby Pacific Electric right-of-way bike path.

“Occidental Petroleum’s act of great corporate citizenship will benefit families in our community for years to come,” Mayor Foster said at a press conference where an oversized check from Oxy was accepted on behalf of the City of Long Beach by the nonprofit Partners of Parks organization. “This generous donation will help improve an area of the City that is severely lacking in open space and recreational opportunities for youth.”

Located north of Pacific Coast Highway on Walnut Avenue and within a mile of over 70,000 residents, the space was initially created in 1936 as what the City calls a flood detention basin which collects excess runoff from water sources. In 1950, recreational purposes were added to the field and throughout the decades, has continued to grow to offer various amenities.

Chittick Field’s neighborhood is also one of the most in-need for open space as it has only 2.45 acres of parkspace per 1,000 residents; the citywide goal is 8 acres per 1,000 residents. Despite efforts to renovate by officials and private partners over the years, however, the Chittick Field of today supposedly contains a baseball diamond and soccer field, but residents say it has in the last decade become an underutilized sunken field of dirt and sparse grass patches.

After ambitious plans to build a pricey Kroc Center on the site fell through in 2010, the City transferred L.A. County grant money away from a cost-prohibitive sports complex project planned for nearby California Gardens–which is currently being transformed into the passive recreation-laden Willow Springs Park–and instead put it towards Chittick’s much-needed upgrades.

The $4.3 million grant allowed for the groundbreaking last year and, along with another county grant for $1.8 million, make up the bulk of the funds being used. The project is fully funded, meaning Occidental’s donation can go towards adding even more amenities to Chittick Field such as bleachers, lighting and a concession stand. 

“The mission of Partners of Parks is to support public parks, recreation and marine programs and facilities in the City of Long Beach,” said Partners of Parks Executive Director Drew Satariano. “The board of Partners of Parks is proud to dedicate 100 percent of these funds from Occidental Petroleum to a project that will have so much impact on the community.”

Because the site–which was formerly known as Hamilton Bowl–will continue its role as an active stormwater management facility, construction on the first phase of improvements will also include a low-flow drainage system, a pump station and various storm water treatment devices to meet current trash and bacteria reduction regulations. The bowl itself will need be regraded and upgrades will also be installed to help the efficiency of the drainage system. 

“Despite falling into disrepair over the years, Chittick Field remains one of the most used parks in Long Beach,” 6th District Councilmember Dee Andrews said in 2011 when the California Gardens sports complex grant money was appropriated for Chittick Field. “Now, major improvements are on the way, and these 19 acres are going to be restored to their former glory, complete with modern facilities. Soon these fields will be full of children and adults playing sports, becoming more active, healthier, and enjoying life more.”

Chittick Field is located at 1900 Walnut Ave. Click here to read our policies covering city council.

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