DAVIS, Calif. — New upgrades to Central Park in Davis have a special meaning behind them.
The city broke ground Saturday morning on the improvements projects, which will include a tribute to fallen Davis Police Officer Natalie Corona. Natalie’s Corner is in honor of Corona, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019 at 22 years old.
Her mother, Lupe Corona, said she always enjoys when people share stories of her daughter with her.
“For me, it’s just knowing that memory is being kept alive by everyone here in Davis," Corona said. "It hurts. I mean, her loss is going to be with us until we take our last breath, but hearing those stories of how she helped the community when she was an officer is something that just keeps us going."
Natalie’s Corner will consist of art tiles that were a community effort.
Mayor Josh Chapman said he hopes those that don’t know Natalie’s story will be inspired to look her up and learn about the impact she had on the Davis community when they sit in her corner.
“Central Park is the cornerstone, kind of the lynchpin of downtown, and it shows how important Natalie was to this community to have this memorial placed in the heart of our city,” Chapman said.
The new improvements also include a splash pad, more benches, picnic tables and new landscaping. The city of Davis received $2.7 million from the state to upgrade the park.
“A moment when that water turns on when we hear laughs and kids playing and families out there together where out of tragedy comes that silver lining of something so special that will continue to bring joy to this community, and I think that is the foundation of why this project is so important,” Chapman said.
The city of Davis is continuing to raise money for the project that will be used in the future for maintenance of the park.
The construction will run through June 2025 with work being done 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
