GCT Debuts New Park In The Heart of Surf City

Huntington Beach, CA-Today we cut the green ribbon for our newest OVSD park. Park View School stood on the site of our newest park until earlier this year. Park View School was a K-8 school that opened in 1969 and educated thousands of students for 20 years. Due to boundary changes and downward population trends in HB, Park View was closed in 1989. The property housed the Huntington Beach Union High School District Adult School and Independent Study School from 1994-2009, but it had been vacant for 13 years, until we tore it down last spring and summer. The vacant school attracted a variety of characters, and neighbors had to deal with drug users, the unhoused, graffiti, and more. The school had really become a blight in the neighborhood. We knew it was time to correct this problem. But that is not where this story ends. The Ocean View School District Board of Trustees made a BOLD decision. Rather than sell the property for a hefty profit, we opted to revitalize this neighborhood for our community. We did not sell the property to make way for more development and housing, instead we are providing beautiful, open, green space for our residents to enjoy. This new park-like space will be a nice reminder of the school that was once here. And as you can see, this green space is a nice compliment to the sports fields that are housed next door. It should also be noted that green space is a precious resource in our city. I am PROUD that my fellow Board Members and I made the decision to put our community above other interests, and do what was needed to be the best neighbor we could be!