A nearly 20-year-old park meant to honor San Luis Obispo’s Chinese culture is in the process of getting revitalized.
In 2005, retired Cal Poly Architecture professor Alice Loh designed the park on an empty city lot at the corner of Marsh and Santa Rosa. She was encouraged to spotlight the culture’s history on the central coast after a visit to China. Loh used some cultural artifacts she found on her trip to design Cheng Park.
Greg Avakian is the director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. He said funds from a local measure are helping update the park.
“A lot of it really is just a revitalization and preservation of the artifacts that were brought over by the Loh family,” Avakian said.
According to Avakian, the project will restore, replace or repair parts of the park. That includes it’s pond, which had high maintenance costs in the past. There will also be updates to landscaping and irrigation. Solar lighting and ADA-accessible items, like handrails on the park’s gazebo, will also be added.
During the planning process, Loh has helped guide the city on their decisions. According to Avakian, it was important to renovate the park and honor San Luis Obispo’s history with Chinese culture that dates back to the 1870s.
“There is a lot of cultural significance and with Dr. Loh’s, you know blessing to be able to renovate this park up to its original standards. We want to really honor that and have the Integrity of that part maintained,” Avakian said.
The project started in December and Avakian said that if everything goes according to plan, it will be ready in March.
