Could a southeast Fresno soccer park become a reality? City leaders take big step
Southeast Fresno is one step closer to seeing a regional park and soccer complex after the Fresno City Council unanimously approved pursuing a funding plan for the 49-acre vacant lot.
Leaders with Sunnyside High School, soccer leagues, and southeast Fresno residents asked the City Council and Mayor Jerry Dyer to support a resolution and commit to bringing the dream of the regional park and soccer complex to life in an area of town where it’s badly needed.
For years, grassroots organizers and the Southeast Fresno Community Economic Development Association (SEFCEDA) have pushed the city to invest the money to turn a former U.S. Department of Agriculture research site on Peach Avenue into something the community could use. So far, the city of Fresno has completed an environmental review and design for the parcel, but funding for the project has been hard to come by.
SEFCEDA applied for $3 million in the latest round of state funding for regional parks to build the first two soccer fields.
Juvencio Alarcon, president of the Southeast Fresno Youth Soccer League, told the council before Thursday’s vote how hard it is to plan games for more than 40 teams in southeast Fresno. But, the experience is invaluable for children, he said.
“Our kids need more amenities, more parks, more space for them to grow — not just grow in soccer, but in life,” he said. “What soccer and other extracurricular activities can do is help a child find their way and continue to grow and be successful citizens. We not only teach soccer on the field, but we also want to educate in the class.”
Sue Farmer, Sunnyside High School’s athletic director, said the park would contribute to the health and well-being of students. Beyond sports, the space could support activities such as band and choir practices and concerts, outdoor plays, and a community garden, she said.
“It’s our hope that we send a huge message to our southeast community that they matter as much as those in the north,” she said. “I know they do not feel that way as of now.”
Dyer and the City Council expressed strong support for the project. Dyer said he and his staff would work with the council to find funding for the project, even if that means finding private sector funding.
Councilmember Luis Chavez, who represents southeast Fresno, thanked the SEFCEDA staff and community residents for their work on the project.
“This is a historic day in the city of Fresno. It will be the first regional park for southeast Fresno built by the city in decades,” Chavez said. “This was one of the most grassroots efforts by children, youth, parents, nonprofits, churches, and families in southeast Fresno advocating for this project. It’s an investment in healthier, greener, cleaner parks in neighborhoods and is aligned with the council’s ‘Rebuild Fresno’ initiative, whose goal is to invest in the older parts of our city.”
This story was originally published January 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.