Oakland breaks ground on recreation and resilience hub

In partnership with Friends of Lincoln Square Park and Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), the project is the culmination of community advocacy and planning to expand recreational activities in Chinatown. The existing facility, built in the late 1970s, no longer meets the demand for programmes and services in the area. Funding for the project includes support from local, state and federal sources including Proposition 68, community resilience grants, Measure KK, Measure U, federal funding and contributions from the community.

“I am excited to celebrate the groundbreaking for the New Lincoln Square Recreation and Resiliency Centre in the heart of Oakland’s Chinatown. As we experience the devastating effects of climate change, this will be a safe hub for our Oakland Chinatown elders, children, and families,” said congresswoman Lateefah Simon. “I want to thank mayor Barbara Lee, senator Alex Padilla, the Friends of Lincoln Square Park and so many trusted leaders who made this a reality. Asian American history is American history, and as a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I will continue to advocate for our Asian diaspora communities in Congress.” 

The City of Oakland contracted with Shah Kawasaki Architects and Amoroso Construction to deliver the project. Construction is expected to be completed by summer of 2028. The City plans to keep park programming going at temporary locations in the neighbourhood throughout the construction phase.

“After decades of community advocacy, and the Lincoln Recreation Centre falling into significant disrepair, we are finally making the investment Chinatown has long deserved,” said Charlene Wang, Oakland District 2 Council member. “This is a disadvantaged community with nearly 80 per cent of Lincoln students qualifying for free and reduced lunch. As Oakland’s first resilience hub, Lincoln will be the city’s frontline of disaster preparedness and a place the community can enjoy every day.”

Shina Robinson, resilience projects director with APEN: “For years, Chinatown residents – many of them elders living in older, heat and pollution trapping buildings – have organised for a space that keeps our community safe when extreme heat and wildfire smoke hit hardest.

“This resilience hub is proof that the strongest solutions come from the leadership of frontline communities. It’s a place our neighbours can turn to, created by the people who know this neighbourhood best.”