ARTIST’S RENDERING of new park design (City of Garden Grove).

By Jim Tortolano
Orange County Tribune

An update on the status of the Civic Center Revitalization Project was given to the Garden Grove City Council on Tuesday night to the applauds of the council members.

“I could never have thought at 18 months we’d have everything there,” said Councilmember Cindy Tran (District 3), regarding the progress so far.

The development will include a new three-story police building with an adjoining multi-level parking structure, as well as a new park in the area northeast of Euclid Street and Acacia Parkway.

At Tuesday’s presentation the council was given a look at artist’s renderings on details of the planned new park, which will take the place of the original Civic Center Park.

The new park will include several play areas, a picnic area, fitness equipment, public art – relocated from the original park – an event stage, and memorial grove, all surrounding an event lawn.

That lawn and stage could be the venue for a wide variety of events, including festivals, movie screenings and other activities. The new park could also include a water element such as a reflecting pool, if finances permit.

At that event lawn, big events could host as many as 2,500 people, with 2000 for a standing concert, 500 for “movie night” and 14 food trucks.

Also on Tuesday night, the council voted 7-0 to approve the second reading and adoption of an ordinance clearing the way for the development of a 26-unit residential townhome project on Santa Catalina Avenue in West Garden Grove on excess land at Grace Baptist Church.