Former east Oakland business owner leads effort to transform park that was part of reason he shuttered

One of Oakland’s parks that straddles two troubled corridors in the city’s eastside is getting a transformation. The work is spearheaded by a man who closed his shop across the street last year because of the challenging environment that included crime and homelessness.

Chien Nguyen is trying to paint a different picture of the Little Saigon neighborhood.

“Even if we look right now this area is really not thriving,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen closed down his shop Quickly in December. The biggest reason he cited as the deteriorating conditions outside his business.

“We have customers get robbed. We had employees get robbed. My store was broken into several times,” Nguyen said. “My business was right across the street from Clinton Park, so I [have] seen this park transform over the years,” he said.

Clinton Park is between two of the city’s main arteries, International Blvd. and 12th St. In recent years, crime coupled with the unhoused taking over and littering the park has deterred visitors and families.

“This community is suffering in so many different ways,” Nguyen said. “The businesses are suffering, the unhoused is suffering,” he said. “I know what a park is supposed to look like and it’s not like this so I wanted to make a difference in a different way. So instead of selling food and drinks now we’re providing services and resources for this community so we can kind of uplift this community.”

Now, the once business owner is the Clinton Park site director for the nonprofit Trybe. The organization is leasing and renovating the building that’s on the park property. It had been broken into over the years and also caught fire at one point. Nguyen hopes to turn it into the community center is should be for the neighborhood.

Lavell Jackson works with Trybe. He said the violence in the area can be attributed to lack of activity.

“I think that’s because there’s no activity, no positive activity,” Jackson said. “We’re really all about healing the community and the future,” he said.

They hope the future looks a little like what’s happening at San Antonio Park, just a couple of blocks away. Jackson helped Trybe transform the space into one that includes activities for families, as well as food distributions.

The changes at Clinton Park in just the past couple of weeks, including working directly with the unhoused to get them resources, is noticeable to laundromat owner Nolan Wong. He has been in business by the park for about 25 years.

“It’s like a central plaza for the area that we’re in,” Wong said. “If we can bring a lot more people to utilize that area it just gives it a better feel,” he said.

On Friday, Aug. 23, Nguyen and partnering organizations along with the city’s Department of Violence Prevention will host what’s called Trybe Town Nights at Clinton Park from 4 to 9 p.m. It’ll feature diverse foods, games, and a wellness clinic.

“Really when I think of Oakland, I think of cultural diversity and I want this event to highlight that,” Nguyen said. “We’re trying to uplift this environment and it’s going to be a natural correlation. As this park thrives and this community thrives the businesses are going to thrive,” he said.

That’s the hope because for him, Nguyen said he knows no other way.

“I do feel like this is one of my callings and I want to make sure that this area gets the necessary attention that it deserves,” Nguyen said.