The City of Hercules is touting significant progress in enhancing its parks and recreational facilities, part of the 10-year Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan adopted in 2024.
Developed through an 18-month collaborative process, the Master Plan aims to guide the maintenance, improvement, and expansion of the city’s park system.
Recently completed enhancements include:
Community Swim Center: Recoated the gymnasium floor and installed new wall-mounted basketball hoops. Applied fresh interior and exterior paint to the entire facility. Installed a new pool perimeter fence.
Refugio Valley Park: Installed a new All-Abilities Swing to enhance playground accessibility. Managed the park’s tree canopy for safety by removing over 40 trees and planting more than 70 new ones. Began the permitting process for future lake dredging.
Facility and Sustainability Upgrades: Completed Senior Center renovations, including recoated flooring, ADA-compliant upgrades, and an updated kitchen. Converted the former Teen Center facility into a new Preschool Center. Installed new hydration and bottle-refill stations at five locations: Community Center, the pool, Senior Center, City Hall, and Ohlone Community Center.
Upcoming projects include:
Refugio Valley Park: Install a new bottle refill station with ADA-compliant fountains and a pet bowl (Anticipated Completion: Summer 2025). Renovate the “Birds and Gems” picnic sites with permanent shade structures (Anticipated Completion: Fall 2025).
Foxboro Park: Renovate the playground and resurface the basketball court (Anticipated Completion: Spring 2026).
Beechnut Mini Park: Complete a full park renovation, including a new playground and barbecue area (Anticipated Completion: 2027).
“Our community shared their priorities during the planning process, and this wave of projects is our direct response,” said City Manager Dante Hall. “From making our playgrounds more accessible to modernizing the Senior Center kitchen, we are focused on delivering improvements that residents can see and use every day.