Long-awaited Esperanza Park open in Dream Homes neighborhood
Kendall Flynn
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – “Esperanza” means hope in Spanish, and residents of the Dream Home neighborhood in Cathedral City have been hoping for a park close to home.
Esperanza Park is 11 years in the making. Officials said it’s been a long process for getting grants, council approval and to even break ground on the project.
The park is funded by over $11 million, with $8.5 in grants from the California State Parks’ Statewide Park Program, which was funded in 2021, and the rest from the City. Mayor Nancy Ross said this includes taxpayer dollars and funds from city officials.
John Corella, the Director of Public Works for Cathedral City, said the project was denied for grant funding three times from the start of the project in 2014. In their fourth round of funding, California Proposition 68 gave officials a way to get the project going.
The proposition, the 2018 Bond Act, aims to create new parks and improve existing ones in underserved communities. As this act passed, Corella said the Cathedral City community stepped up to push it forward. Students from the local Agua Caliente Elementary School created videos saying why they wanted a park in this area. Corella said he believes this helped the project greatly.
Esperanza Park sits on 7.5 acres in the Dream Homes community with facilities for kids and adults. There’s playground equipment, a fitness area, soccer fields, additional grass space, a dog park and more.
News Channel 3 spoke with a resident of the neighborhood, Michael Arredondo, who said this park is beyond important for his family. He said they’ve been having to travel outside of Cathedral City to find a park that’s accommodating for small children.
“It’s really comfortable,” Arredondo said. “Great for my kids. The fact that my wife and kids have such easy access to a comfortable park.”
Stay with News Channel 3 to hear more from residents, officials and from students at Agua Caliente Elementary School on the importance of opening Esperanza Park.