Celebrating the Groundbreaking of Bill Botts Fields Renovation Project

Published on July 09, 2026

Culver City celebrated the groundbreaking of the Bill Botts Fields Renovation Project at Culver City Park on Monday. This is the first project to move forward in the City’s new fiscal year following the identification of community priorities earlier this spring.

The project was initiated after residents identified improvements to Bill Botts Field 1 and Culver City Park Fields 2-4 as one of the City’s highest priorities, citing the condition of the fields and the importance of preserving high-quality recreational spaces. The project is one of approximately 100 initiatives selected for implementation this fiscal year.

The ceremony featured remarks from Mayor Freddy Puza, City Manager Odis Jones, Assistant City Manager Adam Troy, Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services Tomás Herrera-Mishler, California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan, and PRCS Commissioner Crystal Alexander.

“For years, these fields have served our community. They’ve hosted little league games, adult leagues, practices, tournaments, and countless memories. Now it’s our turn to invest back into them with safer, modernized fields that will serve this community for decades to come,” Mayor Freddy Puza said in his opening remarks.

The project will improve the safety and quality of the fields by replacing uneven playing surfaces with level, well-drained, and properly lit athletic fields. The project requires a full renovation of the fields, making temporary closures necessary. The City will share the exact closure date with the community once the contractor’s mobilization schedule has been finalized. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2026.

“This is tremendously exciting because when I got here, having those community conversations affected me as a manager because I heard directly from the public," said City Manager Odis Jones. "And we're going to continue having those kinds of discussions because of that value in effect. This is a prime example of it. This is an important moment, because this is a an exact example of how government works for its people. The people said this should be a priority."

The City will work to maintain access to surrounding park amenities, including trails and parking, as much as safely possible. There will likely be times when portions of parking areas and nearby paths are temporarily impacted to accommodate construction equipment and ensure public safety. The City will provide advance notice and clear signage when this occurs, so park users know what to expect and how to navigate the area during renovation.

“Today, as we break ground, we're doing more than rebuilding ballfields. We're investing in a place that will bring people together for generations to come. Every game played here, every child who rounds the bases, every family gathered in the stands will become part of the story of this community,” said PRCS Commissioner Crystal Alexander.

The City will continue to provide updates as construction progresses and key project milestones are reached.

Aerial view of the current conditions at Bill Botts Fields at Culver City Park.