The last public round at the Pico Rivera Golf Course was played on Saturday, September 19, after 61 years. The grounds are set to be demolished and used as a staging site for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' $735 million Whittier Narrows Dam Safety Modification Project. Streamland Park, down Kruse Road off Durfee Avenue, is next in line.
This fall, those closures are moving the center of Pico Rivera's weekend inland. For about the next seven years, the open space on the river side of town becomes a construction zone. The calendar the city still runs has shifted to Pico Park on Beverly Boulevard, a dog park on Rosemead Boulevard that opened this year, and a Sports Arena that stays open with one less way in.
The north end held most of the city's open space
The scale matters here. The City puts the project's permanent impact at about 104 acres, roughly 57% of Pico Rivera's total parkland. On its own project page, the City describes the loss as about 67% of its "parks, open, and recreation space," a broader category that includes more than formal parkland. Either way, most of the city's large green space sits in the northern area the project needs.
The City's project page lists four places as closed indefinitely:
| Facility | Status as of mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Pico Rivera Golf Course | Final public golf on September 19 |
| Streamland Park | Closing for the length of construction |
| Bicentennial Park | Listed by the City for indefinite closure |
| Sports Arena Drive/Rooks Road | Listed for indefinite closure; the street is now Avenida Vicente Fernández |
Los Cerritos Community News reported that the City's closure notice ended all golf course operations on September 30.
Streamland is the loss with the deepest roots. The Pico Boys Baseball League played its 70th and final season there this year, and City officials are still working with the league on fields for 2027 and beyond. ABC7 Los Angeles talked with former league coach Raul Aguirre, who had six sons play in the league from 1969 to 1990.
Federal leases set a long clock
The golf course and Streamland closed so quickly because the City never owned that land. The course sits on land owned by the Army Corps and leased to Pico Rivera for recreation, and the Corps is now taking it back. The City may get a lease on whatever land is left after construction ends in 2033. New federal rules will not allow another golf course there, and the City has not chosen a future use. Parts of Streamland may reopen for passive recreation after construction, also under heavy federal restrictions.
The start date for the heavy work depends on which agency you ask. The City's September notice said the project was scheduled to begin in October. The Whittier Narrows Dam Safety Project website lists major construction for late 2026 and completion in 2033, with schedules subject to change. An Army Corps news release from August 20 said significant construction was expected in fall 2027. All three point to the same result for the north end: years of staging, noise and changed traffic. The City expects traffic changes on Lincoln Avenue and Rosemead Boulevard.
Mayor Gustavo Camacho told ABC7 that city leaders agree the work has to happen: "this is real. This is something that needs to be done and fixed for generations to come." In June, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that Los Angeles County directed its departments to work with the Army Corps on restoring parks, open space and roads once the project is done.
The arena stays open, with one fewer entrance
The Pico Rivera Sports Arena is the one big draw left on the river side. According to PBS SoCal, the outdoor arena was finished in 1978 and built for charreadas. It holds about 6,000 people and has been central to Mexican-American charrería in the region for decades. The City has described the arena as a partner alongside La Noria Entertainment. In January 2025, the two opened the grounds as free emergency boarding for horses and livestock displaced by fires.
Los Cerritos Community News reported in May that the arena will remain open during construction. The closure of Avenida Vicente Fernández removes one entrance, and City staff are working with the operator and partner agencies on the impact. The City Council approved renaming that street, formerly Sports Arena Drive, in May 2022. Ticketing sites still print the old name, so check the route before a show.
Two November dates have published start times:
- Chuy Lizarraga, Sunday, November 8, at 2 p.m., according to Ticketón.
- 90s Corridos Tour, Sunday, November 22, from 4 to 11 p.m. with doors at 2 p.m., per the arena's event page. The lineup includes Dueto Voces del Rancho, Lupillo Rivera and Rogelio Martinez.
On an afternoon show date, the arena is the busiest spot in the north end. Getting there may take longer once the construction staging begins next door.
Pico Park is carrying the City calendar
Inland, Pico Park at 9528 Beverly Boulevard now hosts most of what Parks and Recreation runs this season. Here is what's scheduled there and nearby:
- Halloween Spooktacular, Saturday, October 24, 5 to 9 p.m., at Pico Park.
- Fall Mini-Camp registration opens Monday, October 26. The camp runs Monday, November 23, through Wednesday, November 25, at Pico Park.
- Electronic Waste Disposal Drive-Thru, Saturday, November 21, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Pico Park. It's free for residents and local businesses.
- Youth winter basketball registration closes Saturday, November 21. Practices and games will be at Pico Park, and the season starts in January.
Indoor space is tight too. HVAC work at the Pico Park gym was expected to wrap up in September so free play and youth basketball could return. Meanwhile, the gym and offices at Rivera Park, 9530 Shade Lane, were scheduled to close for upgrades until the end of December. For the rest of 2026, one Beverly Boulevard park is doing work that used to be spread across the north end and two gyms.
The newest park is on Rosemead Boulevard
Alebrije Dog Park at Rosemead Boulevard and Gallatin Road is the one recreation space Pico Rivera gained this year. It opened after a ribbon-cutting on February 27. It has separate areas for large and small dogs and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk, except Thursdays, when it closes for maintenance, and selected holidays.
On Tuesday, October 27, from 4 to 6 p.m., the park hosts a Community Pet Ofrenda with a pet memorial wall, a photo spot and giveaways while supplies last. Dogs have to stay leashed until they're inside the park. The City's 2024 River and Park Revitalization Program named Alebrije alongside a bigger Smith Park complex, a new aquatic center and the Passons Active Depot. Of those, Alebrije is the one open now.
Golf, swimming and the river trail have longer waits
Some of the north end's old uses have no replacement inside city limits yet.
- Golf. The closest public options are outside the city. LA County Parks runs the 27-hole Whittier Narrows Golf Course at 8640 Rush Street in Rosemead. Downey's city-owned Rio Hondo Golf Club, at 10627 Old River School Road, is open to the public. Its greens are being aerified through the end of October.
- Swimming. The $39.4 million Smith Park Aquatic Center and Community Center broke ground in July with demolition of the old pool. It's forecast to open in Summer 2028, with competition and recreation pools, zero-depth entry and water play.
- River trails. The City expects construction noise, vibration and dust to affect walkers, cyclists and horse riders on the river bikeway. The County's San Gabriel River Trail page lists Pico Rivera access from Beverly Boulevard by way of San Gabriel River Parkway. On the Rio Hondo River Trail page, the section between Sycamore Street and Bluff Road is still marked temporarily closed because of damage to a pedestrian bridge over the trail. The notice gave October 2025 as the repair estimate and adds "until further notice."
If you have questions about the Corps' schedule, you can email the project team at [email protected]. The City's YouTube channel has recordings of the April 16 and May 6 town halls.
A seven-year construction schedule on the north side of town will shape a lot of household plans, not only weekends. Wasilik Klimenko has worked in Pico Rivera and nearby Whittier since 1989 and keeps track of changes like this one as they happen. If you'd like a clear read on where your home stands while the project moves forward, request a free home valuation from our team.
