Mayor Lee Celebrates Groundbreaking of Long-Awaited Tyrone Carney Park Renovation
September 29, 2025
News from: Mayor's Office
Mayor Lee Celebrates Groundbreaking of Long-Awaited Tyrone Carney Park Renovation
The $3.5 million capital improvement project will transform the park into a safe, vibrant community hub.
OAKLAND, CA – After more than two decades of closure, East Oakland's Tyrone Carney Park is set for a long-awaited revival. City leaders and residents gathered this week to break ground on a $3.5 million renovation — a project driven by Mayor Barbara Lee's commitment to restore public spaces, improve neighborhoods, and deliver visible progress across Oakland.
The park, shuttered in 2002 after a tragic homicide, had come to symbolize both loss and disinvestment. Its reopening now carries a different message: that Oakland is investing in safety, dignity, and renewal. Under Mayor Lee, the city has made cleaning up blight, revitalizing parks, and reinvesting in long-neglected corners of Oakland central to her administration's agenda.
The park was named in honor of Tyrone Carney, a local resident and a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps who died while serving in Vietnam on June 9, 1968, at just 20 years old. A proud Oaklander and beloved community member, Tyrone was active in organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and Youth for Christ prior to his military service.
For Mayor Lee, the project is part of a much larger push. Nearly $1 billion in capital improvements — from libraries and recreation centers to transit and housing — are now in motion. Each, she has said, reflects a simple principle: that every Oakland neighborhood deserves clean, safe, and vibrant spaces to grow.
Project Details
The $3.5 million capital improvement project, led by Oakland Public Works, will revitalize the half-acre park with new features including:
Four new play areas
Two new fitness equipment areas
New paved walking paths
New circular central plaza with ornamental paving
New memorial feature
New lawn area
New wrought iron perimeter fencing with gates
New landscaping throughout the park
Funding for the project was secured through a combination of sources, including a community-led grant from Proposition 68—the State of California Parks & Water Bond of 2018 that kick-started the project. Other funding includes Oakland Capital Improvements Impact Fee Funds, and a California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) grant.
The project is part of a multi-year collaboration between the City of Oakland and the East Oakland Neighborhoods Initiative (EONI) and is one of a package of five projects supported by the TCC grant. These projects represent a coordinated investment in affordable housing, expansion of green space, job training, and mobility that aim to strengthen the economy, and improve public health and the environment in a historically underserved neighborhood. The Sobrante Park Resident Action Council (SPRAC) has been a key stakeholder in the development of the project and will serve as the primary community steward of the park when it reopens.
Community Voices
"I am proud to celebrate this exciting step forward in our effort to build a safer and more vibrant East Oakland," said Mayor Barbara Lee. "Thanks to the generous support of the California Strategic Growth Council and the dedicated advocacy of our partners at EONI, we are not only bringing back a treasured neighborhood park, but also investing in the health, safety, and future of this community."
"Today is a day of celebration for our community," said Oakland District 7 City Councilmember Ken Houston. "In 2002, with the support of then-Councilmember Larry Reid, our community made the difficult decision to close the park following a tragic homicide. Now, 23 years later, I have the honor of representing the neighborhood I grew up in as a Councilmember myself, and breaking ground on a new and improved park. This is a full-circle moment, and it's a pleasure to be a part of it."
"We are proud of the thoughtful collaboration that has gone into the design of Tyrone Carney Park," said Josh Rowan, Director of OakDOT and Interim Director of Oakland Public Works. "The project team worked closely with the community to ensure that the park renovation reflects the input and desires of the people who will use it most. We are excited to see this vision come to life and complement other projects currently underway in East Oakland, like improvements to the Brookfield Library and East Oakland Sports Center—all part of a nearly $1 billion package of capital projects in our pipeline."
"Tyrone Carney's legacy is an important part of this community's history," said Fred Kelley, Director of Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development. "The park will provide a beautiful place for our kids to play, and for Mr. Carney's loved ones to gather, honor his memory, and celebrate the values of courage, service, and unity that he embodied."
Dillingham Associates is the design consultant for the renovation, and Beliveau Engineering Contractors is the general contractor.
The park is expected to reopen in summer 2026.
For ongoing project updates, visit https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Oakland-Improvement-Projects/Tyrone-Carney-Park-Renovation
Visit Mayor Lee's Instagram to see her post about the park: @mayorbarbaralee
Mayor's Office Contact:
Justin Phillips