According to the OakDOT plan, the next step is to develop an arts policy for integrating art into our infrastructure, produce guidance for materials and maintenance and implement a pilot project.  However, according to our recent meeting with city staff, the City is no longer planning on implementing a pilot program. Instead, they are actively working  on drafting guidance for projects which will clarify City requirements and the process for seeking approval. The program guidelines will be brought to the Public Works Committee for approval sometime this year. 

For more information, follow Friends of Lincoln Square Park on facebook, twitter and instagram to keep up with the latest news and updates on this campaign to improve this beloved park and recreation center, the heart of Oakland Chinatown. ​

It's been 40 years since any major improvements have been done to the recreation center. The slide on the popular junk ship play structure has been broken for months and the windows of the recreation center leak whenever it rains. Toe tot lot has a boarded up hole where the slide was removed. The classrooms are small and often over crowded and the recreation center staff have to turn away groups because there isn’t enough space to accommodate the demand. ​The aging facilities have served the community well over the generations, but it is in need of critical investments that can no longer be delayed. 

Meanwhile, the longer we wait, the busier it gets. Up until the early 2000's the park was primarily used by the adjacent Lincoln Elementary School's 500 students, small groups of local Asian teenagers, and very few seniors. About that time, the School District expanded the number of public charter schools and implemented an open enrollment policy which allowed families to enroll in non-neighborhood schools. Over the years, as many as five charter schools have been operating within a few blocks of the park, increasing the usage significantly.  

By 2010, Lincoln Elementary replaced their portables with a modern multi-story building and expanded their enrollment to nearly 750 students. In total, there are now nearly 2,000 school-aged students within a half mile that use the park on a regular basis.  As many as 75% of the students attending these schools do not live in the area, and commute in by bus and car on a daily basis. 

Furthermore, with no-large scale public senior center in Oakland Chinatown, active adults began converging at the park and in the Recreation Center. What was once a handful of seniors has since become over several thousand for both informal and formal activities.  Future development will bring over 5,000 new residents within a half mile, so the park usage will continue to grow.  

The community has been waiting for a very long time for a new and improved center. Thanks to the City's partnership with the Warriors Community Foundation and the generosity of Kevin Durant and his charity foundation, there will be some refurbished basketball courts coming soon.  This is a great start, and an amazing opportunity to jumpstart renovations on the rec center.