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Halcyon Commons is a community-designed mini-park featuring a large grassy area surrounded by flowering shrubs and trees, a picnic area, and a tire swing.
Features
- Lawn
- Wheelchair Accessible
The space occupied by Halcyon Commons used to be a 28-space parking lot. At a block party in 1992, residents were inspired to transform this area into a community commons. Halcyon Neighborhood Association led a three-year process of achieving neighborhood consensus, facilitating hands-on design workshops, and gaining approval of the Parks and Recreation Commission and the City Council. Construction began with a depaving effort that involved City crews working alongside over fifty community volunteers. Funding for the park came from a City grant augmented by donations from local businesses and the sweat equity of hundreds of volunteers.
In the spring of 1996, after curbs were poured and pathways marked out, eighty-five volunteers, led by City of Berkeley gardeners, planted twenty-two trees and hundreds of shrubs and bushes. Volunteers later laid out the sod, and the park was dedicated with a huge celebration on July 21, 1996. In 1997, Halcyon Commons was honored with an Excellence in Design award from Berkeley Design Advocates. Neighbors continue to participate in the ongoing maintenance of this green space through the Friends of Halcyon Commons.