California to Buy Defunct Horse Track and Turn It Into the Bay Area’s Newest Public Park

California lawmakers struck a deal to divert $125 million in climate funding to buy the former Golden Gate Fields track and turn it into a park. Gov. Gavin Newsom supports the project.

Sep 1, 2026

Updated 4:48 pm PT

Yue Stella Yu, CalMatters

Hall of Fame jockey Russell Baze, right, riding Two Step Cat crosses the finish line to win his 10,000th race at Golden Gate Fields in Albany on Jan. 1, 2008. (Eric Risberg/AP Photo)

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California lawmakers will spend up to $125 million in state funds to help buy and turn Golden Gate Fields, the 161-acre former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, into a public park — a priority of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s.

The funding will come from Proposition 4, the voter-approved $10 billion bond for climate projects such as drinking water, wildfire prevention and land conservation, despite concerns from environmental advocates and lawmakers that diverting the money would drain limited resources from those other priorities.  

Golden Gate Fields, owned by Canadian company The Stronach Group, closed in 2024 after an 83-year run as interest in horse racing dwindled. In March, Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit advocating for park access, announced its intention to raise $175 million to buy the land, transfer the deed to the East Bay Regional Park District and transform it into a publicly accessible waterfront park.

The plan drew support from local officials and state lawmakers representing the area, who deemed it a valuable opportunity to restore the coastline, expand access to public amenities and revitalize surrounding disadvantaged communities.

Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the Berkeley shoreline, on April 1, 2026. The track closed in 2024, and the Trust for Public Land is working to turn the site into a public park. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

The track sits west of Interstate 80 in Berkeley with public beaches behind it; the city is on the opposite side of the highway. 

“This is a major victory for our region,” said Sen. Jesse Arreguín, a Berkeley Democrat, in March. 

Two months later, while presenting his May budget plan, Newsom proposed that the state foot most of the bill. The park district pledged $20 million and the nonprofit is expected to raise $30 million to make up the rest. 

“This acquisition is a once-in-a-century opportunity to repurpose a former horse racing track into an iconic shoreline park and recreational hub, which will restore nature and expand open space and Bayshore access for millions of Bay Area residents,” Newsom’s May budget proposal reads.