REP. CORREA PRESENTS $850,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO TRANSFORM UNUSED SPACE INTO VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE

August 08, 2024

REP. CORREA PRESENTS $850,000 IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO TRANSFORM UNUSED SPACE INTO VITAL COMMUNITY RESOURCE

Built In Part With Federal Tax Dollars, West Orange Park Will Be First Of Many Public Spaces Along The Santa Ana River

ORANGE, Calif. - Yesterday, Representative Lou Correa (CA-46) joined City of Orange Mayor Dan Slater, Orange Councilmember Jon Dumitru, and other City officials to announce $850,000 in federal taxpayer dollars to help build the West Orange Park in the middle of one of the City's most park-poor areas.

The West Orange Park will be an important resource for the City's residents, providing nearby neighborhoods with much-needed open space, recreational opportunities, and active transportation. The plans for the park include features like playgrounds, exercise equipment, water stations, gardens, and shaded seating. In the long-term, public spaces like this one help promote a better quality of life and provide recreational and educational opportunities, especially for youth and low-income families.

Rep. Lou Correa, Orange Mayor Dan Slater, and Councilmember Jon Dumitru
present a check for the West Orange Park

In addition, the park site is uniquely situated near the Santa Ana River Trail and would connect to several regional amenities-including the Santa Ana River Conservancy and River Parkway, which are designated by the State of California as treasured resources.

"With these federal dollars, West Orange Park will become one of the first "pearls of green" along the river-the first of many that will soon transform the Santa Ana River into a River of Life,"Rep. Correa said. "From Huntington Beach to Lake Arrowhead, our community will enjoy living and growing along this beautiful natural treasure. After years of working with the River Conservancy and helping build more public spaces, I'm proud to have partnered with the City of Orange to make this park a reality."

Graphic illustrating the site plan concept for the West Orange Park

"The City of Orange is extremely grateful to Congressman Lou Correa for securing vital funding to help make this new park in West Orange a reality," said Mayor Slater.

According to the State Parks Community FactFinder tool, the park's surrounding area includes both disadvantaged and severely disadvantaged communities and over 400 individuals living in poverty. In addition, there are over 1,000 youth living in the area, but zero parks per 1,000 people. The West Orange Park will be essential in providing this community with open space to enjoy, as well as connecting them to important Orange County resources and amenities. The City is entering into a 50-year no-cost lease to develop the property, currently located on underutilized County of Orange Flood Control land.

This $850,000 in federal funding is part of the nearly $15 million that Rep. Correa secured for community projects throughout California's 46th congressional district in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) omnibus appropriations bill, which President Joe Biden signed into law this year. Rep. Correa worked in lockstep with community leaders to identify priorities for CA-46 constituents, and fought for them during the annual funding process.

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