Heroes Park will be built near Florinda Street and 9 1⁄4 Avenue in Hanford on 40 acres of land. City of Hanford image

After months of deliberation, a tentative agreement with a local property owner has brought the Hanford City Council one step closer to building a one-of-a-kind 40-acre park for the community to enjoy.  

“The Hanford City Council is committed to supporting parks, including the planning and development of new ones in parts of the City that will experience significant housing development in the near future,” Hanford Mayor Kalish Morrow said. “Heroes Park will be a gem for this neighborhood, the City of Hanford and the Central Valley. We are pleased that the project is moving forward.” 

Last December, the city was awarded $8.5 million for Heroes Park through the State Parks’ Statewide Development and Community Revitalization Program. Originally, the site was proposed for the northeast corner of Florinda Street and 9 1⁄4 Avenue, but an agreement on the final terms of sale for the property could not be reached at the time.

However, a multi-generational farming family recently agreed to sell 40 acres of land for the development of the park. The new site lies directly east of the original site; a detail which City officials say is minor. The California Department of Parks and Recreation also indicated that it is not uncommon to change locations of a park during the development process.

According to a family spokesperson, the property originally belonged to his great grandmother. The property was then passed down to his grandmother who farmed the property for years.

“Our family cherishes the idea that there’s going to be a park on the property,” he said. “Putting a fire department there makes it even more meaningful.”

The East Side Fire Station is set to be located at Heroes Park, and the city has proposed dedicating the building to a family patriarch who was a longtime Hanford Fire Department employee.

Chosen by the community, park amenities will include three multi-use athletic fields, a dog park with lighting, outdoor amphitheater, a skatepark, 16 pickleball courts, water feature and more.