El Centro to fete renovated Aguilar Park

EL CENTRO — The city’s Community Services Department is hosting a ribbon cutting today at 6 p.m. to mark the completion of the nearly $ 3 million renovation of Carlos Aguilar Park.

The park is located on Pico Avenue a block west of Imperial Avenue.

The multitude of improvements took about eight years due to the time needed to acquire funding from various sources, explained Adriana

Nava, Community Services director.

“It looks like a brand new park,” she said Wednesday,

The renovation was completed in three phases. Phase one involved field lights in 2014. They were purchased and installed through Community Development Block Grant funds in the amount of $442,023.

The $2.4 million phase two was finished in December 2020. Improvements included a new basketball court, walking path, restrooms, snack bar, and picnic tables. The playground was also rehabilitated during this phase, a new soccer field was created and a modular building for the Humane Society was purchased and installed. The society office sits on city- owned land adjacent to the park.

The alley to the west of the park was improved and a new parking lot was created. During this phase, extensive landscaping was incorporated along the new and existing soccer fields. These improvements were completed using a combination of state and city funds.

Phase three included the replacement of the irrigation system on the north end of the park, seeding of the north soccer field, a new monument sign, additional landscaping along Pico Ave., and removal of the outdated pole sign. The cost of this phase was $133,817 and the source of funds was CDBG. It was completed in March.