County Gets State Funds For Park Projects in Mecca and Perris

MECCA (CNS) – Riverside County was awarded more than $14 million from the state for the construction of a sports park adjacent to the Mecca Boys & Girls Club and a community park in Perris. The nearly 7-acre Mecca Regional Sports Park will have soccer and baseball fields, volleyball courts, walking and jogging paths and permanent exercise stations. Covered space for picnicking and barbecuing is also in the plans, along with public art and lighting. "We are proud to be among the initial allocations from this park bond, a significant investment in the eastern Coachella Valley, an area with a strong need for more parks, green spaces and activities for children, youth, adults and senior citizens," said county Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, whose district includes the unincorporated community of Mecca. According to Perez, who helped push for the grant funding, plans for the Mecca sports park go back to the early 2000s when redevelopment funding helped pay for the Boys & Girls Club, a community health clinic and fire station to be built in downtown. The $5.8 million awarded for the project come from Proposition 68, a statewide park bond passed in June 2018. The county was awarded $8.5 million for the construction of Enchanted Hills Community Park in Perris. The 11.7-acre park will include a field, several playgrounds, a skate park and dirt tracks for mountain biking.