The five-acre FMC Willow Grand Park sits at the center of a new collection of transit-oriented residential communities. Urban Arena designed the park as a lush and active social hub, even though the site came with major challenges. Large underground water pipes, a five-foot-tall air-release manhole mound, overhead power lines, transmission towers, and a large area of contaminated soil shaped much of the early design work. Because of these constraints, the land was not suitable for housing, but the team saw an opportunity to turn a difficult site into a community asset.
Environmental consultants addressed the contaminated soil by capping it with impermeable barriers and treating it through injection and extraction wells. With the cap in place, Urban Arena faced the challenge of arranging park amenities on top of and around this protected zone. Careful site programming and subtle soil mounding allowed the team to integrate these features seamlessly. Therefore, making the soil cap feel like a natural part of the landscape rather than a limitation.
Other constraints, including the pipe easements and the powerline corridor, also became design opportunities. The underground pipes now support a winding segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail, and the powerline corridor frames a curved parking lot that fits neatly within its boundaries. The existing manhole mound evolved into a planted hill with a small amphitheater carved into its slope.
The park includes a variety of spaces for active and passive recreation. Key features include a large central lawn, a sculptural playground, dog parks for both small and large dogs, quiet passive lawns, and a reservable event lawn shaded by vine trellises and lit by pendant lights. Together, these elements create a vibrant community destination that transforms a once-challenging site into a welcoming and memorable place.