Two parks in west Modesto near completion. One opens this month
Renovation of two west Modesto parks is nearing completion.
Fourth Street Park, formerly Cesar E. Chavez Park, is expected to be done this month. The city said construction is near completion, and it is working to obtain final operating permits required to operate the park’s aquatic facility.
The park will feature a splash pad, a lighted basketball court and skate plaza, an exercise fitness area, an aquatics center with a pool, and recreational multipurpose rooms at Maddux Youth Center, among other amenities.
Fourth Street Park had been closed since November 2024 to replace the aging infrastructure. Originally, the renovated park was set to be ready by spring 2022 but inflated costs “in a post-pandemic business climate” meant more funding was needed.
As a result, funding from the American Rescue Plan, Measure H, and Parks and Air Quality Capital Facilities Fees was reallocated. Other projects including Martin Luther King Jr. Park renovations and a turf replacement for Mary E. Grogan Community Park soccer fields had their funding reapportioned to Fourth Street Park. The project cost $17.1 million.
Chavez’s name has since been removed from the sign after the City Council voted in June to change the park’s name to Fourth Street Park.
Residents will have to wait a bit longer for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Completion of the west Modesto park is slated for early 2027. The city began construction in October after some delays also related to “increased costs for goods and services in a post-pandemic environment, as well as coordinating several large construction projects for the city.”
During construction, the West Modesto Community Collaborative relocated its programs and services to the Learning Center at 529 California Ave., just around the corner from the King-Kennedy Memorial Center. The King-Kennedy center renovations are part of the broader construction underway at the park.
Plans include a new gymnasium that will serve as an extension of the center and provide space for community meetings, fundraisers and other events. The project also adds new restrooms, a gazebo, an outdoor amphitheater stage, a basketball court and a splash pad.
Both projects are currently within budget, the city said.
This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 10:38 AM.
