Over three years after the city held a formal dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for an incomplete park, the city plans to hold a grand opening ceremony at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12.
The park, located at Eastgate Boulevard and Kiwi Drive, has been completed courtesy of millions of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress in 2021.
In October 2023 the Ceres City Council awarded Stockbridge General Contracting Inc. the contract to finish Ochoa Park with amenities requested by east Ceres residents. The contract cost the city $1.93 million and with a 10 percent contingency the entire work could reach $2.1 million.
In 2020 the city got as far as grading the site and installing some landscaping materials, a play structure, a volleyball area, concrete benches, concrete pavement and an area for corn hole games. But a lack of money prevented the city from completing the park as designed. Since then the park had an uninviting appearance so the community pressured the council to finish it.
The council decided to spend $1.05 million from the first round of federal ARPA funds, of which $400,000 was allocated to Ochoa Park, and reassigning the $650,000 initially designated to start Lions Park in north Ceres. The council also approved the use of $1,088,100 from the second ARPA allocation of $5.8 million. Another funding source used was $172,000 in neighborhood park development fees.
The city took input from the community at two public workshops, to install picnic tables, benches, a couple of basketball half courts, Pickle ball courts, a 16-foot by 16-foot shade structure with barbecue grills, drinking fountain, doggie-pot waste station and trash receptacles. Grass, shrubs and trees were also added with a full irrigation system.
For decades the city planned the park as Eastgate Park but the council changed its name to honor the legacy of the late ex-city councilman Guillermo Ochoa who died in 2015 at age 54. Among those attending the 2021 dedication ceremony were his widow, Martha Ochoa, and their two children, Kimberly and Christian.
