Learn About The Park's History

August 15, 2016 "Drone Flyovers Start" Click here to watch the series of drone fly overs to chronicle the construction of the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Scroll down when the page opens to see the series of fly overs as the construction progresses.

Google aerial view of the 22 acres that will become the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Click Here

April 22, 2015 The Two Year Report On Park Progress
The Alameda Citizens Task Force (ACT) invited us and ARPD Director Amy Wooldridge to report on the past 2 years of progress and the next 3 years that will see the start of construction.
Jim Sweeney and Dorothy Freeman reported on what has happened over the last two years. To see the video of Dorothy's report Click Here.
ARPD Director Amy Wooldridge spoke on construction with the present funding and what construction will be done with the existing funds. Director Wooldridge also gave updates on other Alameda park projects.

April 21, 2015 Contract for design of the Cross Alameda Trail's approximatly 4000" park section has been awarded to BKF Engineers. This contract will be for the Jean Sweeney Park trail but will also cross Constitution Way and Webster Street where the trail will connect with the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy. The trail will become part of the Bay Trail and will adventually extend from Alameda Point to the Fruitvale Bridge.

January 27, 2015 Jean Sweeney Park Receives $2 Million From Developer Fees
Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Department Director, announced the recently approved agreement with Tim Lewis Communities for the development of the Del Monte building stipulates a $2 million payment for the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Click Here
October 6, 2014 Press Release by Amy Wooldridge ARPD Directory City Wins $2.2Million For Jean Sweeney Park to construct the protion of the Cross Alameda Trail that runs through the Jean Sweeney Park. Click Here

On July 15, 2014 the Alameda City Council voted unanimously to approve the Draft Master Plan for the Park. Documents related to the presentation by Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Director, plus a video of the City Council meeting can be reviewed Click Here

On June 23, 2014 the Planning Board reviewed the park Draft Master Plan and the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration. The Planning Board approved the design developed by community input and designed by Kristoffer Köster of KKDesign. The Master Plan approvel cleared the design to be presented to the Alameda City Council.

On January 18, 2014 the first community volunteer workday was held at the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The event was held to clean up the area where the future community gardens will be located. Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan sponsored the event that 315 volunteers of all ages came out to help with. Click here

Announcement for Community Garden clean up: First Community Volunteer Work Day At JSOSP Click Here

First Grants Received: Press Release Click Here

August 2013 - Tom Schweich, Botanist, a member of the ARPD Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Development Committee produced a plant survey of the park.

On May 7, 2013 Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Director, reported the results of the community meetings to the Alameda City Council. Click Here
Read the Memorandum of the report to City Manager John Russo.
View video of the City Council meeting. On the left side, scroll down and click on Item 6E to start the video at the beginning of the presentation.

April 2013: The Church of Christ Latter Day Saints renovated the exterior of the Belt Line Railroad building on the East end of the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. Click here

ARPD Park tour March 2, 2013 - Amy Wooldridge, Alameda Recreation & Parks Department Director led a tour of about 100 participants to the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. To view the slideshow Click Here

February 13, 2013: Recreation and Parks Department holds the second community meeting to get the input on what features the people want to have included in the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The meeting was held in the Alameda City Council Chambers and was streemed online. Video of the meeting can be viewed here. View meeting images here .

February 9, 2013: Recreation and Parks Department holds the first community meeting to get input on what features the people want to have included in the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The meeting was held at the 'O' Club in Alameda Point.
Council Member Doug DeHaan, a long time friend of Jim and Jean Sweeney, gives the introduction to Jean Sweeney speaking in her own voice about her journey to save the Belt Line switching yard as open space. The audio/video file is courtesey of Joseph Woodard Multimedia and the Alameda Public Affairs Forum.
Hear audio file here. View meeting images here.

On January 16, 2013: Alameda Citizens Task Force presented the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Committee. The Committee presentation informed those attending about the planned ARPD meetings to allow citizens to vote on what they wanted the new park to look like. Click Here

October 2012: Park planning begins: The Jean Sweeney Open Space Park Committee flyer for community meetings. Click Here

Spring 2013: Alameda Recreation & Parks Director (ARPD) Amy Wooldridge narrates a video of the Beltline Railroad Switching Yard, 22 acres that will be named The Jean Sweeney Open Space Preserve. Click this link to view the video on YouTube.

March 8, 2010: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
ABL Parcels Alameda, California
Prepared for: City of Alameda .......
The City of Alameda retained Belinda P. Blackie, P.E., R.E.A. to perform a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) of the Alameda Belt Line (ABL) Parcels, located in Alameda, California (site). The site consists of nine non-contiguous parcels, comprising approximately 38.81 acres of land, which currently are largely undeveloped...... To read the full report Click Here

August 20, 2009 Court of Appeals . The Alameda Belt Line ("ABL") appeals a judgment awarding the City of Alameda specific performance of a 1924 option, allowing the City to "purchase" all of ABL (with assets, particularly real property, conservatively exceeding $20 million) for less than $1 million. Click Here

January 22, 2009 . Court of Appeals Appellant's Reply Brief Click Here

August 21, 2008 Court of Appeals . This is a contract interpretation case. The trial court (Judge Jon S. Tigar, presiding) upheld the City of Alameda's valid contractual rights, and entered judgment in favor of the City. Click Here

August 8, 2006: Superior Court of the State of California 'Statement of Intended Decision' Read the Judge's decision that allow Alameda City to purchase back the 40 acres of Belt Line property. This decision was appealed so the decison was not final until 2009. Click Here

The Top Ten Real Property Cases of 2003, State Bar of California Real Property Journal - Volume 22, Number 1 Winter 2004
Item II. ALAMEDA BELT LINE v. THE CITY OF ALAMEDA Click Here

November 4, 2003 . Court of Appeal, First District, Division 5. California
'.....We only rule that the order light of the extransic or parol evidence. granting summary judgment against the City should be vacated, in order to allow for futher proceedings consisitent with the views expressed in this opinion.' Click Here

November 2002: Alameda Votes To Rezone Belt Line Railroad Switching Yard as Open Space Click Here

Full Text of 2000 Initiative to Rezone Belt Line Railroad Rail Yard to Open Space Click Here

Copy of the origional 1924 contract between the City of Alameda, Western Pacific Railroad Company and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway Company. The railroad company created from the joint contract became to be known as 'The Belt Line'. Jean Sweeney found this contract while doing research through the City of Alameda historical documents. After the contract was found, the City of Alameda requested the Belt Line Railroad sell the Belt Line property back to the City. The Belt Line railroad then filed suit against the City claiming it was not a valid contract. Click Here

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Published on: January 4, 2014