Huron secures $3.6 million to finish long-delayed plaza, splash pad

Huron’s long-delayed La Placita Park project cleared its biggest financial hurdle after the city secured the full $3.6 million needed to finish the plaza and splash pad at Lassen Avenue, 9th Street and Huron Avenue.

The delay was not just about construction. Mayor Rey Leon said work stalled after a councilmember resigned and the City Council fell into a 2-2 deadlock, leaving Huron unable to move the project forward. By the time the city got back to work, costs had climbed by about $3 million, forcing officials to pursue grants, fundraising and budget support from elected representatives to close the gap.

The project has been on the books for years under the formal state name La Placita Park. In 2021, Huron won a $4,643,750 Prop. 68 Statewide Park Program award for a 2.7-acre park on the site, a block meant to create close-to-home park access in a city that describes itself as an agricultural community about 50 minutes from Fresno. State records and CEQA documents describe the park as more than a splash pad: the plan calls for a gazebo, amphitheater, game tables, exercise stations, picnic tables, educational displays, a playground, a restroom with a snack bar, landscaping, lighting and security cameras, along with open-space turf areas and a plaza with a monument.

Leon cast the project as a civic anchor, not just a recreation upgrade. He said it will be “a vibrant public space for the entire community,” a place meant to support family gatherings, children’s play, elders’ rest and community events. In a town that has long been identified as a farmworker-centered community and the only town within the Westlands Water District, that kind of shared space carries outsized weight.

No official opening date has been announced, so the money solves the financing problem but not the timing question. The next milestones for residents to watch are the finish line on design and construction, the installation of the splash pad and plaza features, and whether city leaders can turn the site into steady foot traffic, local spending and civic activity in one of Fresno County’s smaller cities.