Funds requested for proposed park to connect downtown Sacramento to the riverfront

(FOX40.COM) — Sacramento’s Congresswoman Doris Matsui has requested $5 million in federal funding to study the construction of a park connecting downtown Sacramento and the Sacramento River.

The project, which includes the city and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, proposes a 4-acre park built on a deck that would be atop Interstate 5, which primarily runs along the river’s shoreline.

When the interstate was built in the early 1960s, it severely limited access to the waterfront and removed several neighborhoods, including Japantown.

The stretch of the interstate south of Old Sacramento lies at a lower elevation than surrounding streets, and this is where the project proposes building the park.

“Reclaiming this space for the people of Sacramento will create a signature public commons at the gateway to California’s capital city capable of hosting both special events and passive recreation, and will serve to enhance the quality of life and social connectivity of everyone in the region,” reads a statement from Scott Ford, economic development director of Downtown Sacramento Partnership.