To fill the gap between the park’s estimated $64.36-million price tag and current resources of $27.5 million, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, the city is proposing to borrow $40 million from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank’s (IBank) tax-exempt bond infrastructure funding program. Photo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – West Sacramento’s long-proposed renovations to its “most heavily used and programmed park” took another step toward realization at the Nov. 19 City Council meeting.

City Council unanimously approved authorizing staff to execute an agreement with the Washington Unified School District to purchase the 24.62-acre Bryte Park in north West Sacramento for $5.42 million.

The agreement also includes the purchase of 4.076 acres of adjacent roadway, including portions of Riverbank Road deemed “of limited use and restricted value” for the price of $1.

According to the city staff report, Washington Unified School District owns the property while West Sacramento maintains and improves it. The city is proposing to use part of a conditionally-awarded $15-million grant from the Outdoor Recreation and Legacy Program, funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, to purchase the property and aid in the proposed more than $64.36-million park improvements and upgrades.

West Sacramento would use the grant to pay for half, $2.71 million, of the purchase price with the balance coming from about $12.5 million that the city has set aside for park improvement funding.

Parks and Recreation Director Kate Smith told council that city staff anticipates finalization of the purchase agreement with the school district by the end of the year. It is still pending Washington Unified School District Board of Trustees approval, and once completed, would lead to a target of February for the construction bidding process to commence, with a potential groundbreaking in spring.

“We hope to have the shovels in the ground by May ’26,” Smith said.

Bryte Park improvements include renovations to existing features, along with new amenities, the biggest of which is an aquatic center with a six-lane lap pool, zero entry wading pool, shaded spectator areas and a building with rooms that can be rented to the public.

Also in the plan is a 75-seat terraced amphitheater, splash pad with a river theme, picnic shelter, outdoor classroom, concessions building, additional basketball courts, handball court, ball fields that accommodate youth through adult baseball and softball, natural and synthetic turf sports fields, and improved lighting and parking.

Park upgrades have been a vision for the city since the Bryte Park Master Plan creation in 2013, as well as a source of frustration for north West Sacramento residents. Over the years, some upgrades have been made, including a new playground in 2015 and on-site parking, lighting, landscaping, new restrooms, play area shade structure and crossing improvements on Carrie Street in 2016.

But several residents commenting at the Nov. 19 meeting and also at an Aug. 6 meeting to discuss potential financing expressed frustration with the pace and focus of the city regarding the park. Residents noted that other, lesser-used parks in West Sacramento have received more extensive upgrades while Bryte Park improvements kept being put off. One woman said that they were not told in public park meetings that the city did not own the land and that groundbreaking would take place this month.

“Now, this is like a slap in our face,” she said of the May date.

“We need to get it together,” a second woman said of the city’s efforts.

Council members agreed with residents’ frustrations. Councilwoman Dawnté Early said they had been working diligently “as humanly possible” on bringing improvements to Bryte Park to reality. Early said she believed the school district board would approve the sale of the park land to the city.

Councilwoman Norma Alcala said she had spoke to several board trustees about the park and agreed with Early.

“This is going to happen,” Alcala added.

At the Aug. 6 meeting, City Manager Aaron Laurel said, a November 2025 target date for purchase of the property had been discussed. Laurel added that the school district has been “great partners” in that process.

“The schedule is on track,” he added.

In response to a question from Mayor Martha Guerrero about park usage during construction, Smith said that the Bryte fields would be available for use by girls’ softball and boys’ Little League programs this spring, as well as for residents surrounding the park.

“Once fences go up May ‘26, the park will be off line,” Smith added. “We are working very closely with Washington Unified as well as some of our other community partners such as Holy Cross to relocation field space so that our goal is we are not having to cancel or decrease any sort of programming both with our organized sports leagues as well as our recreation programming.”

To fill the gap between the park’s estimated $64.36-million price tag and current resources of $27.5 million, including the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant, the city is proposing to borrow $40 million from the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank’s (IBank) tax-exempt bond infrastructure funding program.

At today’s interest rates, the loan would require an estimated annual repayment of $2.6 million over 30 years, an amount proposed to be covered by pausing the $1 million in Measure N funds used for the Small Business Accelerator program and $1.6 million in Measure O funds previously proposed for public safety costs.