ABG Advocates for Long-Promised Community Garden at Jean Sweeney Park
[March 22, 2026] In 2010, when the City purchased the 22-acre Alameda Beltline property — now known as Jean Sweeney Open Space Park — it launched an extensive community input process. Through online surveys and multiple public workshops, a shared vision emerged: a vibrant open space with biking and walking trails, picnic areas, a playground, wildlife habitat and a community garden.
Fifteen years later, nearly every element of that vision has been realized — except for the Community Garden. In the meantime, a citywide Aquatic Center has been sited on the land originally designated for a community garden.
Today, with food insecurity, climate change, and habitat loss confronting us directly, Alameda Backyard Growers (ABG) is once again stepping forward to advocate for completing this long-promised project.
Through our Project Pick initiative and our ongoing donations to the Alameda Food Bank, we see firsthand the need in our community. Each week, approximately 1,200–1,400 families rely on the Food Bank. At the same time, bee populations nationwide have declined dramatically — in some cases by as much as 50% — and, according to Cornell University, since 1970 3 billion birds have vanished, both largely due to habitat loss. And here in Alameda, nearly half of residents are renters, most without access to land where they can grow their own food.
These may be global challenges — but solutions can start locally. A Community Garden is a tangible, practical step we can take right now, here in Alameda, to support food security, strengthen community resilience, and help add more pollinator-friendly plants to the expanse of the park restore wildlife habitat.
With the Aquatic Center about to break ground, the timing is ideal. Construction equipment will already be onsite, making this a practical and cost-effective moment to complete the garden alongside the new facility.
We are seeking community members — no gardening experience required — who are willing to lend their voices in support of building the Community Garden now. If you would like to get involved, please visit our website and join our Community Garden Advocacy group. A member of our team will be in touch soon.
Together, we can help finish what our community envisioned fifteen years ago!