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# City Council Approves $6 Million for Improvements at Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park
- URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/city-council-approves-6-million-for-improvements-at-martha-mclean-anza-narrows-park/
- Published: 2026-09-04T12:00:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-04T12:00:33.000Z
- Description: The $6 million in state grant funding will help bring a playground, restrooms and other amenities to the 40-acre riverside park.
- Author: Micaela Ricaforte
- Tags: City Hall

Riverside is moving forward with plans to bring new amenities to Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park – including a playground and restrooms – after the City Council on Tuesday, Sept. 1, approved the acceptance of $6 million in state grant funding.

Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park, a 40-acre park on a bluff overlooking the Santa Ana River, is currently used for disc golf and other park activities. However, it has few amenities for families and does not currently have a playground or restrooms, according to the staff report.

The funding comes from the California State Coastal Conservancy, whose board approved the $6 million grant award to the city April 23, according to a city staff report.

The council's action also authorized a corresponding $6 million increase in revenue and expenditures in the city's Grants and Restricted Programs Fund. No matching funds are required.

The money will pay for design development and construction documents for the entire park while also covering part of the construction costs for the planned improvements, including a playground and restroom building.

Another priority is preventing unauthorized vehicles from driving through the park and into the Santa Ana River. According to the city, vehicle intrusion has contributed to environmental damage along the river and increased wildfire risk.

The city's master plan envisions a more active and family-friendly park, with a playground, recirculating water play area, restrooms, an outdoor classroom for river camps and outdoor education, a small bandshell, a grassy community meadow and river overlook swings. The plan also calls for native plantings, shaded seating and picnic areas, bike rest stops and new trailhead amenities and signage for the Santa Ana River Trail. In a community survey conducted for the plan, flowers and native plants, shade and restrooms emerged as the three most requested improvements for the park.

The full project is estimated to cost about $12 million. The city's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department will continue seeking additional grant funding to complete the remaining improvements, the report states.

The project is part of a [broader effort](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riversides-plan-to-reconnect-residents-with-their-river/) to increase recreational opportunities and public access along the Santa Ana River.