Closed in 2024 after 83 years of horse racing, the historic Golden Gate Fields racetrack at the Berkeley and Albany waterfronts was approved for acquisition in a $175 million deal to transform the space into a public park.
The approximately 161 acres will be acquired by Trust for Public Land, or TPL, a nonprofit dedicated to park conservation and development. $125 million of the transaction was funded by a Proposition 4 climate bond signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. The remaining $50 million will come from a combination of donations and grants, including $20 million from Measure WW, a bond to expand regional park space approved by voters in 2008.
“For too many of our residents, including children, seniors, and working families … the East Bay shoreline has felt out of reach,” said Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii in an email statement. “Now it will belong to them, a refuge nearby that offers clean air, open water, and breathtaking views.”…