Grants to be Used for Coachella Central Park

$12.5 million in grants will be invested in Coachella for improvement projects and Central Park

COACHELLA – Chelsea Investment Corp. in partnership with the city of Coachella will be awarded a $4.04 million grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Infill Infrastructure Grant Program to support new affordable homes for Californians.

This grant will be used to construct a park, street and sidewalk improvements, onsite stormwater retention and underground electrical systems in the downtown Pueblo Viejo neighborhood.

The Infill Infrastructure grant is connected to the development of Tripoli Apartment Project. In July, the Coachella City Council approved a $13 million conditional loan for a new affordable housing project known as the Tripoli Apartments.

This project will be built on Tripoli Avenue near Cesar Chavez Street across from the city’s Pueblo Viejo Villas. The three-story development will feature 108 apartments consisting of 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units with laundry facilities, a community room, and 2,510 square feet of commercial space.

The Pueblo Viejo Villas, affordable housing, on Sixth Street is also part of Chelsea Investment Corp.

“The Infill Infrastructure grant will help us enhance our Pueblo Viejo District without utilizing our tax payers hard earned dollars,” said Coachella Mayor Pro Tem Josie Gonzalez. “We will see increased safety with street improvements, sidewalk enhancements and undergrounding our utilities. This is a win for our residents who will now have more choices in affordability near a soon to be built Transit Hub and a win for our Pueblo Viejo District vision.”

On Dec. 8, the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP) announced that the City of Coachella will be awarded an $8.45 million grant for its Central Park project from the California Department of Parks and Recreation’s Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program through Proposition 68, State of California Parks and Water Bond 2018 that Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (SB 5, 2017) authored.

The new Central Park will be a 4.7 acre-park featuring an inclusive playground with shade, a splash pad, a multi-purpose pavilion with restrooms, a walking path, botanical/community garden, a multi-purpose court, a fitness area with shade, three picnic areas with shade and BBQ pits, a multi-use field, perimeter fencing, with lighting and landscaping throughout the park.

“Central Park will add a sizeable park to a parkless neighborhood and act as a trailhead since it will be approximately 900 feet from CV Link. The park will also benefit our industrial zone businesses. Should those employees want to enjoy lunch or go for a healthy walk they have a place to do it now,” stated Mayor Steven Hernandez. “More importantly and to put this in perspective, the city has a $27 million budget and this adds $12.5 million (worth) of parks and infrastructure.

# # #
The City of Coachella was incorporated in 1946 and is a 29-square mile municipality of approximately 41,941 residents located in eastern Riverside County, in a region collectively known as the Coachella Valley in Southern California. Coachella is about 97 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border and about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles. For more information, please visit the City’s website: www.coachella.org.

 

Photo caption above: Concept Level Site Plan – Central Park. Dec. 13, 2021