The city of Berkeley is requesting input on three public art proposals that would create a bird and insect habitat in a proposed park located in West Berkeley.
Each proposal includes two artworks that will stand at the ends of a four-block area of an old railroad that will be converted into a park. The artwork will also serve as shelter and nesting sites for native and migratory birds, as well as non-stinging insects.
The three proposals were shortlisted from 72 proposals received from artists across 21 Northern California counties.
The city is now inviting the public to submit their input on the three proposals through a survey by Aug. 24, after which the city’s Civic Arts Commission — the body responsible for commissioning public art pieces in the city — will make its decision about which proposal to select.
The park will be situated between Blake Street and Ward Street, crossing Acton Street, and will feature a community garden, a dog park, a children’s playground, and an urban farm.
The parcels of land used to be part of the right-of-way for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, a railroad that ran through Berkeley, ferrying passengers and freight from Richmond to Oakland starting in the late 19th century.
The city of Berkeley purchased these parcels in the 1970s, and the land has since been converted into parks, affordable housing, community gardens, and trails.
The ongoing Santa Fe Trackbed to Park Conversion project is funded by a $5 million grant through Proposition 68, a measure that provides funding for the development of parks and recreational spaces that was approved by California voters in 2018.
An additional $4.5 million in funding will come through the city’s parks tax, which voters approved in 2014 through Measure F and then raised in 2024 through Measure Y.
Finally, Measure T1, a fund for improvements to city infrastructure and facilities that voters approved in 2016, will contribute $200,000 toward the project.