Covina is undergoing a bit of a multimodal renaissance: first a new skatepark, then the Vincent Bikeway (in progress), and up next the Recreation Village on Citrus Avenue.
The ambitious project fits lots of great features into a challenging narrow site - a former fruit packing warehouse - just east of Downtown Covina’s Metrolink station.
The Recreation Village project serves many purposes including improving access to the Covina station via a new pedestrian bridge, as well as providing a number of attractions for locals and commuters alike: a dog park, gardens and trails, a playground, a basketball and volleyball gym, a rock climbing wall, as well as a new library building and parks and recreation office. Importantly, these facilities will provide shade and air conditioning in hot weather.
Construction contracts for Phase 1 of the Village – the gymnasium, rock wall, native garden, ADA transit access, and bioswales – have been awarded, and construction is set to begin in mid-September. Completion is estimated for September 2025.
The budget is roughly $13 million - from Prop 68, the state’s Natural Resources Agency, a federal appropriation, Quimby Fees, city funding, Metrolink pedestrian bridge funds, and the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy.
Phase 2 of the Recreation Village is not yet funded or approved by city council. Its estimated cost is $2.2 million and the features to be built are the gateway, dog park, pedestrian plaza, playgrounds, and transit hub. Phase 3 will be the library.
Also unapproved as of yet is the “exterior colonnade,” a walkway along the gym and train tracks between the two outdoor areas. This would feature a mural paying homage to the Kizh, the San Gabriel Valley’s indigenous tribe.
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