Mile Square Regional Park

Mile Square Regional Park is a park located in Fountain Valley, California. It includes two lakes, three 18-hole golf courses, archery range, baseball and softball fields, picnic shelters, and a 20-acre (81,000 m2) urban nature area planted with California native plants, a 55-acre (223,000 m²) recreation center with tennis courts, basketball courts, racquetball courts, a gymnasium, the Kingston Boys & Girls Club, and a community center. This regional park was built on a naval landing field soon after the city was incorporated. James Kanno, one of America's first Japanese American mayors, led the effort to create the park.[1]

The park derives its name from the near-perfect square of land that it occupies, bounded by Edinger and Warner Avenues on the north and south sides, and Brookhurst and Euclid Streets on the west and east sides, respectively. It measures 1 mi (1.6 km) on a side, for a total area of one square mile, or 640 acres (2.6 km2).[2]

Background

In 1942, the Navy purchased 640 acres (2.6 km2) of agricultural land for Mile Square Naval Outer Landing Field, which used as an auxiliary for Naval Air Station, Los Alamitos. Three landing fields were constructed in a triangular shape in the center of this area, with each field being approximately 2,200 feet (670 m) in length. It was used for carrier deck qualification practice by Navy aircraft. In March 1967, Orange County entered into a long-term lease with the Navy Department for the perimeter area of the site which allowed the county to develop this area for regional park purposes. Military operations in the center airfield ceased in 1974.[3] It is now operated by OC Parks.

The park was built in several phases:

  • Phase I was opened with 85 acres (340,000 m2) of land in 1970
  • Phase II added the baseball diamond and a children's play area in 1973
  • Phase III extended the park northward to Edinger Avenue in 1976
  • Phase IV development commenced in the spring of 1987 and included the construction of an executive golf course.

Del Taco, a fast food chain based in Orange County, filmed a commercial on the south end of the park in early 2007, celebrating its 76th anniversary.

Mile Square Regional Park

See also

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields

References
  1. Do, Anh (July 18, 2017). "James Kanno, one of America's first Japanese American mayors and a founder of Fountain Valley, dies at 91". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  2. Davis, Hillary (January 12, 2019). "One of Mile Square Park's three golf courses could be on the chopping block". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  3. "Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields: California: Central Orange County". www.airfields-freeman.com. Retrieved 12 January 2019.

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