Long Beach is continuing to take steps to improve and bring the community’s vision to life at Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
This week, residents received an update from city staffers during a community meeting on planned improvements, including replacing the roof on the community center and renovating the restroom, as well as elements of the first phase of the park’s vision plan. That includes renovating the playground, adding basketball courts and building a walking loop.
These park improvements will bring enhancements that address core recreation, access and immediate community needs, envisioned through the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Vision Plan, city staffers said.
Long Beach hosted a community meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Community Center to inform residents about upcoming improvements to the park. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach hosted a community meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Community Center to inform residents about upcoming improvements to the park. (Photo courtesy of City of Long Beach)
Show Caption
1 of 2
Long Beach hosted a community meeting on Monday, May 18, 2026, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Community Center to inform residents about upcoming improvements to the park. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The plan, adopted by the City Council in 2024, was developed through a collaborative, community-driven process led by the Parks, Recreation and Marine Department in partnership with the King Park Steering Committee, the Long Beach Alliance, Food Fitness, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Long Beach, and City Fabrick.
The effort identified key priorities for the park’s future and, with additional input from Friends of Martin Luther King Jr. Park – a neighborhood group that grew out of the King Park Steering Committee – now serves as the foundation for the draft conceptual design, according to the city.
These improvements have been a long time coming for many residents who have continually advocated for Martin Luther King Jr. Park, many of whom were present at the community meeting on Monday, May 18, at the park’s community center. There were more than 40 people in attendance, including Public Works Director Josh Hickman and Parks, Recreation and Marine Director Stephen Scott.
“This is not the first time we’re coming together to have a conversation about investing in MLK Jr. Park, and we are really excited to be here tonight to continue this conversation, to continue to build on all of the hard work that many of you were involved in with respect to the development of the vision plan,” Scott said. “We are excited now to get to this point and actually start putting some money into the projects that we’ve all envisioned for a long time.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Park has two major planning efforts that outline the critical repairs needed at the facilities and the community’s priorities for park improvements, Tina Cheng, capital projects coordinator for the Public Works Department, said during the community meeting. Both resulted in capital funding being for these improvements.
One is the facilities condition assessment, which identified critical needs, including the community center roof replacement and restroom structural upgrades; the other is the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Vision Plan.
“The improvements that we are presenting here today represent the first major phase of the implementation based on current available funding,” Cheng said, “and the priorities identified by the community in the vision plan.”
The community center roof, which has leaked for more than a decade, needs to be replaced to prevent further damage and avoid disruption to community programming, Cheng said. The MLK Jr. Park Community Center was built in the 1970s and serves about 20,000 residents each year through afterschool programs and community events – but after half a century, it requires improvements.
The city plans to replace the existing roof with a new waterproof roofing system, including new flashing and sealant penetrations to prevent leaks; drainage with proper slopes, new gutters and crickets; and replacing damaged decking, according to the presentation.
The existing restrooms were constructed in the mid-1980s and have not undergone major improvements since. After four decades, the restrooms require renovations to improve safety, functionality and user experience, Cheng said. The restroom stalls, for example, don’t have doors or partitions.
The city plans to add new partitions to provide privacy; replace the finishes and fixtures, including tiles and lighting; and make accessibility improvements, including an ADA-accessible stall, grab bars, accessible-height toilets and sinks.
Building on the vision plan, park improvement priorities were further developed with feedback from the Friends of MLK Park to create a draft concept with an inspiration and theme, Cheng said.
“The concept was developed around the idea of establishing the park as an African American Heritage Park,” she said. “The design also honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. and the rich history of the African American community in Central Long Beach, and creates a park experience that is welcoming and peaceful.”
Some of the draft concept design and community priorities include two full-size basketball courts; a paved walking path with mile markers containing historical information and sandblasted inspirational quotes; interpretive and educational signage; and playground enhancements, such as adding shade and inclusive play equipment.
These projects build upon prior capital investments, including the MLK Park Swimming Pool Upgrades completed last year and the Central Health WIC Facility Improvements completed in April 2023.
During the meeting, community members shared their input and concerns, such as ensuring restroom privacy, continually maintaining the park, having the projects create jobs for local young adults and those attending the neighboring Long Beach City College campus; protecting the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue and plaque; giving murals graffiti-resistant paints, and installing fencing along Orange Avenue at the baseball and field areas.
Funding has been allocated for both restrooms and roof improvements, and the vision plan, Cheng said. The Phase 1 vision plan improvements are being funded through Measure A, Construction and Development Funding, and Park Impact Fees for a total of about $3.7 million. The facility repairs have $1.3 million in funding through Measure A and federal funding secured by Rep. Robert Garcia. In total, the park’s current funding is about $5 million.
The City Council on Tuesday, May 19, also unanimously approved receiving grant funds from the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District Annual Allocation Grant Program. This will bring an additional $1.2 million to Martin Luther King Jr. Park.
Construction on these projects is expected to begin in the summer, city staff said.
Once additional funding is secured, additional improvements will be implemented in future phases, Cheng said. These include improving the peace garden, removing the perimeter fence, expanding the playground and stage area, and relocating the King statue.
For more information about project updates and timelines, visit lbcity.info/MLKJrParkProjects.