Golden Gate Fields could soon turn into a public park

Berkeleyside • March 31, 2026 • sports

Key Points:

The Trust for Public Land has agreed to purchase the 161-acre Golden Gate Fields site, a former horse racing track on the Berkeley-Albany border, for $175 million with plans to transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District to create a large new public park.
The East Bay Regional Park District will contribute $20 million from a 2008 bond measure, while the Trust aims to secure additional public and private funding, including possible support from a 2024 California climate bond.
The Stronach Group, current owner of the property, has agreed to demolish existing structures such as grandstands and stables as part of the deal, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
Once acquired, the park district will engage the community in planning the park, with a typical development timeline of around five years, focusing on shoreline restoration, ecosystem protection, and climate resilience.
The project concludes decades of debate over the site’s future, overcoming previous commercial and housing development proposals, and will fill a gap in the regional McLaughlin Eastshore State Park system, enhancing public access to the bay shoreline.

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