Fundraiser Underway for Full Renovation of Children’s Park in Isla Vista

Two grandparents smiled as three children bounded toward them on a cloudy afternoon at Children’s Park in Isla Vista. The oldest two kids barreled onto the park’s aging playground steps while the youngest toddled to catch up. 

Dense Isla Vista is a college student’s domain. But clusters of families, concentrated on Isla Vista’s quieter west side, live in its apartments, keep plots in its community garden, and send their children to its elementary school. Children’s Park is a popular spot for multi-generational families, said Isla Vista Recreation and Park District (IVRPD) General Manager Kimberly Kiefer. It’s also home to the district’s long-running after-school program. 

“This is the heart of where we’re serving most of our families of Isla Vista, [who] have been here for generations,” she said. 

With about $4.2 million from a California State Parks grant, IVRPD plans a full renovation for the park, including new playgrounds, a classroom, a kitchen space, and barbeque pits. The park renovation plans came from community input given at more than a dozen meetings, starting in 2020 as the district applied for the funding. Kiefer said that families regularly masked up for these meetings, which took place in the park itself.

“It’s such a community-driven project, and we’ve had so much community engagement that we really want to fulfill their dream,” Kiefer said. 

Kiefer said college students can also benefit from the park. Not only are there picnic areas, but the park district’s programs, hosted at Children’s Park, employ about 15 students each year. Kiefer said that currently, many students use the park to read or study.

Inflation and rising construction costs means that grant money, awarded in 2021, no longer covers all the plans for the park. 

“From the time we were awarded [the grant] to where we are now, construction costs, materials costs have all shot through the roof,” said Assistant General Manager Luis Valerio. “So we’re trying to figure out how to fill the gap.” 

The two nature-themed playgrounds (one for older kids and one for tots) are covered by the grant money. So is the barbeque and picnic area. But other park features are on the chopping block.  

With a $1 million gap and about 10 months to fill it, Isla Vista’s Recreation and Parks District has started an ongoing fundraiser and has created a list of budgeted priorities. At the top of the list is a new community building and shade structure. 

Assistant Manager Luis Valerio said the new building will provide a space community members can rent out for the day and host special occasions, from birthdays to baptisms. 

“In I.V., the majority of people don’t have a backyard to host people, so a lot of families utilize this park to do celebrations,” he said. 

The new building will include a prep kitchen and refrigerator, so families can cook and serve meals onsite. 

Renovations to the existing building are next on the list. Valerio said the district will use the renovated spaces as a classroom to complete after-school activities and do their homework. 

An amphitheater, a communal deck, enhancements to the park’s green open space, and ADA-accessible parking are desired renovation plans, ranked in descending priority order. 

Kiefer and Valerio said the Isla Vista Recreation and Park District has applied for more funding from state grants, but that they remain hugely competitive, especially as federal cuts trickle down to impact state and local budgets. 

Santa Barbara County has put about $250,000 toward the project. Now, the district is looking for other investors, whether agencies or community members, to help fill the gap. The district offers sponsorship opportunities for different donation types. Kieffer said the district wants to thank and include anyone who gives, regardless of the gift size. 

Because IVRPD is working with the nonprofit Ventura Community Partners Foundation as its fiscal sponsor, all donations will go to park renovations, rather than to the district generally. The donations will be tax deductible. 

The project is slated to break ground in January 2027 and construction and project maintenance is expected to last about nine months.