By Kathy Chouteau
Pogo Park aims to complete its $28 million Harbour-8 Project this October, after the Richmond City Council recently voted to provide $3 million to cover cost overruns.
Now, the Iron Triangle-based nonprofit is looking to raise the final $3 million needed to complete the project, which includes Harbour Hall — a community center that doubles as Contra Costa County’s first Community Resiliency Center (CRC) — a surrounding playground with a volcanic zipline, Oak trees donated by Apple Inc. and much more. The 3,500 square foot Harbour Hall will be equipped with back-up power, water, food, communication and support during emergencies.
“The impact that we’re going to be having [is] in one of the most underserved neighborhoods in Richmond,” Maher told Richmond City Council at a recent meeting.
Pogo Park secured various forms of state funding to make the project possible, but faced a number of challenges including the rising cost in construction material, unexpected need for soil remediation and utility challenges.
Still pending is Pogo Park’s formal Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Richmond, according to Maher. Among the conditions for providing the $3 million in city funding, the City Council has requested that Pogo Park provide its budgetary documents and meet with the city staff to review the project. The funds could be reallocated if Pogo Park doesn’t meet the Council’s conditions by Oct. 31.
Maher said it “feels really good” to be in the final stretch of the project and realizing their vision, but that some of the finishing work has been the hardest thing. “We didn’t cut any corners,” she added, noting that’s what the community wanted from their park team.
The CRC will serve as a community resource hub throughout the year and provide shelter and resources during emergencies.
This could be Pogo Park’s biggest project yet. The nonprofit is also behind the transformation of Richmond spaces including the Elm Playlot at 8th Street and Elm Avenue, the Yellow Brick Road street revitalization project in the Iron Triangle, and Harbour-8 Park at the site of a once-blighted city park at 909 Ohio Ave. People power leads the way for the nonprofit, which in addition to Maher, includes a dedicated staff of local neighborhood residents lending their input and elbow-grease to projects, including Harbour-8 Park.
During the Standard’s recent visit to the Harbour-8 Park project site, Maher’s staff could be seen working on fine tuning a fence, as well as evidence of their past work creating park benches, tables, project mock-ups and more. Maher said the Iron Triangle community—alongside Pogo Park’s staff—has shared their collective vision for the park, with her team working diligently to realize it.
“It ties in with so many projects that are happening in Richmond,” she added, referencing various improvements happening on the Richmond Greenway, Safe Routes to Schools project, the Transformative Communities Climate (TCC) grant with the Neighborhood Complete Streets and the Yellow Brick Road project.
“This Harbour-8 project is a force multiplier that is going to really help to catapult this part of Richmond,” she said. 
