Kennedy Plaza

Kennedy Plaza was formerly a "makeshift" playground on a small patch of city owned property located at the intersection of San Pablo Avenue and 23rd street bordered by Brookside Drive in San Pablo. 

The city received $100,000 in grant money from the Federal Government to develop Davis Park and make the playground on 23rd into Kennedy Plaza; on the condition they raise another $100,000 on their own. The city council asked for community help and the response was more than they expected. Boys' clubs, Senior Citizens clubs, private citizens and businesses began fund raising projects and donations. Several businesses near the playground's project area agreed to change their construction plans to help blend in with the proposed Plaza decor. Clubs held barbecues, car washes, carnivals and other events with the total community contributions fast approaching their $100,000 goal. An Oakland Tribune article of 27 Jan 1967 mentions the 1966 federal grant of $100,000 were matched by local funds to complete the city's showcase, Kennedy Plaza.

The entire project was prompted when the city applied for and went "all out" to get the All-American City award.  They based their application on citizen participation in raising funds for Davis Park, the proposed Kennedy Plaza Park, the community's involvement in preparing a comprehensive city general plan and a series of neighborhood improvement assessment districts.

The awards at that time were given each year by the National Municipal League of Boston and Look magazine and was specifically made for "citizen action" to recognize the accomplishments of a city's residents when they "set out to improve their communities." (Source: Oakland Tribune -19 Aug 1966)

Note: although San Pablo didn't win that year, they did win All-American City in 1976. 

Kennedy Plaza received national attention in November 1967 from a beautification award bestowed by the American Association of Nurserymen (see articles below). 

In addition to the bells purchased by San Pablo, Manzanillo, México, San Pablo's sister city, donates a bronze bell for Kennedy Plaza's adobe bell wall.

In February 1969, San Pablo civic leaders and Mexican government officials were present at a ceremony of the unveiling, dedication and the hanging of the bell donated by San Pablo's sister city at Manzanillo, México.

One of the replacement bells was a gift from the Rotary Club of our Sister City, Manzanillo Mexico, and was sculpted by Beniamino Bufano, a diminutive man described as a giant in the world of sculpture. A second replacement bell came from a schoolhouse in Badger, Kansas. One of San Pablo's council members, Sam Morrison, attended school there and a family friend had bought the bell for 35 cents when the school was torn down in 1936. His neighbor in Kansas gave him the bell "to put in his bell wall." 

At one time, San Pablo had an official city "carollineur" in Lisbeth Roessler who played the bells at events. She was present to play a noon day concert at the city's Fourth of July bicentennial event in 1976.

By the 1980s the Plaza had fallen into disrepair with extensive vandalism. The electricity to the bells was no longer operational and they were removed to the then City Hall at 1 Alvarado Plaza. At the time, it was unknown what happened to them from there. However, in 1984, the city council made plans to develop a project to renovate the park.

Kennedy Plaza's renovation was completed and rededicated on September 21, 1985, and it appears that there were already two bells hanging at the time of the rededication.

Kennedy Plaza Gets a New Face-Lift

Planning for the Future - The City adopted the 23rd Street Specific Plan on October 1, 2007, which includes plans for Kennedy Plaza and a Brookside Drive reconfiguration.

The city's plan provides for an overall vision for the 23rd Street corridor. It provides discussion of the urban design and land use issues that can guide the long-term implementation of the vision.

Participants at workshops during the planning process developed the following goals for improving Brookside Drive, as well as its intersection with 23rd Street: 

♦ Activate Kennedy Plaza by attracting a larger number and variety of visitors. 

♦ Use traffic-calming measures to make Brookside Drive a safer and more welcoming street for pedestrians. 

♦ Create an expanded open-air venue that provides space for outdoor community events. 

This Plan follows these goals by directing that the intersection of Brookside Drive with 23rd Street to be modified as follows: 

♦ Brookside Drive will be reconfigured to form a typical “T” intersection with 23rd Street, and the existing turn lanes, which have large radii that allow for excessive vehicle speeds, will be removed. 

♦ Parking lanes will be removed from both sides of Brookside Drive adjacent to Kennedy Plaza. The space they occupied will be used to create additional park space for Kennedy Plaza on the north side of the street, and a wider sidewalk on the south side. 

♦ Sidewalks will be rebuilt without a curb, at the same elevation as the street. The sidewalks will have a special color and texture to differentiate them from traffic lanes. This change will connect Kennedy Plaza with the other side of the street, and it will make the street a more suitable location for holding special events, such as street fairs and farmers’ markets. Brookside Drive could be temporarily closed to traffic during such events to provide increased pedestrian safety and community gathering space for festivals or other similar activities. 

Kennedy Plaza has endured over 50+ years of use and abuse. It still stands today, thanks to the city and the community coming together to keep the vision of a park for all to enjoy.