One year after breaking ground just north of Soto Station in Boyle Heights, a new pocket park is taking shape at the former site of an early 20th century home.

Construction of Brooklyn Heights ParkUrbanize LA

Brooklyn Heights Park, located at 318 N. Mathews Avenue, is roughly .19 acres in size, and will feature a children's playground, fitness equipment, landscaping, outdoor seating, walking paths, a drinking fountain, and public art when completed. The $5.2-million project is the first new park project in the City of Los Angeles to be funded by Proposition 68, a $4.1-billion bond measure passed by California voters in 2018.

According to a 2019 report to the Recreation and Parks Board, more than 14,000 people live in neighborhood surrounding Brooklyn Heights Park, including 5,100 people within a half-mile radius.

The project is a relatively small change for the neighborhood, which is also seeing the construction of new supportive housing projects from East L.A. Community Corporation and Abode Communities on Metro-owned sites nearby.

318 North Mathews StreetGoogle Maps

The Brooklyn Heights Park may be joined by another small green space a half-mile west near Mariachi Plaza, where East L.A. Community Corp is slated to build a similar pocket park in conjunction with a new affordable housing project.