Utica Park To Be Transformed Into Regional Attraction
Angels Camp, CA — A $3-million grant will allow Utica Park to expand and offer additional amenities, and city leaders hope it will attract more visitors to Angels Camp.
The city has received a Rural Recreation Tourism grant ($3-million) from the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
City Administrator Rebecca Callen says, “The grant is in order to acquire 3.82 acres in downtown Angels Camp, specifically the old Lightner Mine, and the property will be used to expand Utica Park and turn it, truly, into a regional park.”
The grant was acquired with help from the Angels Camp Community Club. Plans include putting in an amphitheater, bocce ball courts, a pavilion, cultural displays, outdoor gym equipment, a basketball court, hiking trails, and historical mining artifacts.
Callen adds, “It is the largest park that we have in the city, and we are extremely excited, not only for the residents, but for what it is going to mean for our economy, downtown, as well.”
The next step in the process will be appraising and acquiring the mine property, and then the design stage. Callen hopes that construction will begin sometime around 2024 or 2025.