A new park, set to sit among rows of newly constructed homes on Stockton’s northeastern edge, isn’t much to look at yet — just a cleared dirt lot amid the rising single-family houses being built around it.
But it does have a new name, one the city says reflects its “strength and culture.”
Corazón del Valle Park, planned for 3993 Stapleton Drive, was approved as the 5-acre site’s new name by the Stockton City Council earlier this week after the city opened a naming process to residents late last year. The park is part of a new neighborhood, unofficially known as Cannery Park, that is situated near Bear Creek and Highway 99.
Submissions for the park’s name were first reviewed by a committee focused on development and community needs, said Thomas Freeman, a program manager with the city. The city received 10 submissions, including names honoring people from Stockton and other themes such as “Paradise” and “Peace” park.
But the name eventually selected — which translates to “Heart of the Valley” — felt “fitting” to the committee, Freeman said.
Councilmember Michele Padilla, who represents the district where the park is located, said she had heard from several residents at community meetings who wanted a name that “sounded like home.”
“This park is going to be a gathering place for this neighborhood,” she said in a statement. “And it means a lot that the name came from the people who’ll actually use it.”
The park, which is set for completion in December, owes its name to Minnie Franco. She first came across plans for the park through her work reviewing pedestrian and vehicle access for the city’s Public Works Department.
Before considering what the park should be called, Franco said she researched the area’s history. She wanted a name that would tie the park to the San Joaquin Valley’s agricultural roots.
“That piece of land was agriculture for a really long time,” Franco told Stocktonia in a phone call, adding that she had thought about the Mexican, Filipino and Chinese farmworkers who had worked the San Joaquin Valley’s fields.
She eventually chose the Spanish name Corazón del Valle — a name she said connected to her own cultural roots as a fifth-generation Mexican American.
But more than anything, Franco said, she wanted a moniker that would be rooted in community — a place where new families can play with their children, much like she remembers doing with her own kids at parks across Stockton. She said her family made memories at Victory Park, where she and her children would feed the ducks or visit the Haggin Museum along the way.
For Franco, “Stockton is the heart of the Valley,” and is shaped by the people who make it home.
“It should be inclusive, right?” Franco said of the new park and its name. “Recognizing all of us who contribute to this city.”