California lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s.
The funding will come from Proposition 4, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities.
Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after a 83-year run as interest in horse racing dwindled. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, announced its intention to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park…