Billionaire Ty Warner has donated $5 million to complete funding for the massive renovation of Dwight Murphy Park in Santa Barbara.
“This is more than a renovation,” Warner said. “It’s the transformation of a shared space into something truly energized and inclusive.”
The project will cost $32 million and include a multi-sport field for youth baseball, adult soccer, rugby and lacrosse, an outdoor fitness area, new sidewalks around the park, restrooms and new lighting.
It will also include a large grass lawn for drop-in activities and picnics, a shaded group picnic area, new walking paths and additional parking.
The new park will feature Santa Barbara’s first all-abilities playground, created in partnership with the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation. Gwendolyn’s Playground will include a multi-story treehouse, hill slides, inclusive swings, musical play elements, and a calming pod.
“Whether through play or sport, imagination or movement, we grow by connecting with one another,” Warner said, “Gwendolyn’s Playground and the new sports complex will bring together every part of this community—across ages, backgrounds and abilities.”
The Santa Barbara City Council is set to approve a memorandum of understanding between the city and Warner at this Tuesday’s meeting.
Construction is set to begin on June 2. Fencing will be installed May 30, according to the city. The park will be closed for two years until spring 2027.
Gwendolyn Strong was born with a disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, and her parents, Bill and Victoria Strong, started a foundation after she was born to reach out to other families of children with SMA and help fund research for a cure. Gwendolyn died at age 7.
One in every 40 people carry the gene, and the group has been working to raise awareness about prenatal genetic screening. Noozhawk first wrote about Gwendolyn and the Strong family in 2008, when Gwendolyn was just 10 months old and Bill and Victoria had begun gathering signatures for congressional action to fund SMA research.
“This contribution from Ty Warner is the incredible final note in a long symphony of community support—turning what began as a bold challenge into a dream, and now into reality,” said Victoria Strong, founder of the Gwendolyn Strong Foundation, in a statement. “His extraordinary generosity is the unifying bridge that links every piece of this park together, making possible a cohesive and fully funded vision that is truly magical.”
The Gwendolyn Strong Foundation raised $6 million to help fund the project. The city of Santa Barbara is spending $19 million. Another $1.5 million in federal Community Project Funding will go toward the renovation. Warner’s $5 million pledge completed funding for the project.
“Dwight Murphy Field has long been a symbol of Santa Barbara’s unique open space,” said Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse.
The park is 100 years old.
Warner, the toy maker who created Beanie Babies, owns the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, Coral Casino Beach & Cabana Club, San Ysidro Ranch, Montecito Club, and Sandpiper Golf Club.
Santa Barbara City Councilwoman Meagan Harmon said she is “immensely grateful” to Ty Warner.
“So many people have worked so hard to make this renovation a reality—to have Mr. Warner’s support to get it over the finish line is a truly wonderful gift,” Harmon said. “There’s so much about this project that is desperately needed: from updating the sports fields to incorporating elements that will ensure the park’s long-term climate resilience.”
Harmon said perhaps the most special of these improvements is Gwendolyn’s Playground.
“In today’s world, one that feels ever more divided and disconnected, Gwendolyn Strong’s legacy, in the form of her beautiful playground, is a powerful reminder that play knows no boundaries and that, here in the city of Santa Barbara, joy is indeed for all of us,” Harmon said. “I truly believe this project will improve the quality of life for our residents for many, many years to come and I’m incredibly proud and gratified it is moving forward.”