Standing at the intersection of Alma Real and the entrance to the Palisades Park Recreation Center today were L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, L.A. Strong Sports co-founder and Lakers Coach JJ Redick and Rick Caruso who has launched Steadfast L.A. to help with rebuilding after the Palisades and Eaton Fires.
With private money, community input and cooperation from the City of Los Angeles, there are now plans in place to rebuild the area that was the center of Pacific Palisades before the Palisades Fire on January 7 destroyed the community.
“This will be one of the greatest parks in the United States,” Caruso said about the park that would replace destroyed buildings and the antiquated 1950s Rec Center.
The park would be a private-public partnership, which means that money comes from outside sources in order to offer city amenities to residents.
The “new” gym burned in the fire and would be replaced, as would the tennis shed and the maintenance building. Extra basketball courts are envisioned. Last month, the L.A. Parks Foundation, which received a fire-aid grant from the Annenberg Foundation, announced there was now money to replace the 1986 dated playground that was not handicapped accessible.
As diverse in thoughts/position as Bass, Caruso and Redick might be they were all in agreement that the Palisades Rec Center had been the gathering place of the community and needed to be brought back as soon as possible.
“This park was the heartbeat of the community,” Caruso said. “On top of losing their homes (almost 7,000 homes were destroyed in the fire), there was a loss of lifestyle, it was the local town, everyone said ‘hello.’ We need the park back.”
Caruso added, “Once this park is back, the town is back,” and hoped the updated Palisades Rec Center could be completed within 18 to 24 months at the latest.
“My priority is to get people back to the community,” Bass said. “We want to not only rebuild the Rec Center but build it bigger.” She added that if there was a way to expedite it, she would. Currently, the DWP has taken over the park and people are not allowed past the parking lot, which is patrolled by an armed guard.
CTN asked Bass when DWP would leave so that contractors and construction could start in the park.
“If it becomes a hinderance,” she said, “JJ will tell me and they will move.”
Long-time Pacific Palisades resident and Little League commissioner Bob Benton used that model to build the “Field of Dreams,” which is funded and maintained by the community.
“We’re very excited. We have used the private sector before and it worked well,” said Benton, who is a member of the Palisades Park Advisory Board (PAB).
Robert Weber, also a PAB member said, “Today’s press conference offered hope . . .Hope that the heart of the community will come back quickly and even better than it was before.”
He said plans among LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA and other consultants, which include representatives from Gensler, CBRE, Parsons, Esri and Latham & Watkins LLP, are to bring back park amenities, such as bocce, tennis and the playground within three months. “This will be done using no taxpayer funds or City workers,” Weber said. “All that is needed is for the City to get out of the way. I hope that the Mayor’s words to that effect quickly turn into action.”
During the conference, Bass said, “The role of the government is to get out of the way.”
Fingers crossed
I think mayor Bass meant the “role” of the government not the “roll”
Jill,
A typo–I corrected it. Thanks.
Sue
As a born and raised Palisadian that played baseball ,soccer, and basketball at the palisades park,I would like to see our 1950s Rec center stay the same after loosing majority of our home town. For nostalgic reasons to be able to go back to a familiar place for all of us past generations of Palisadians that were here before ( the first disaster)Rick Caruso ripping out center village. Sure upgrade the play ground and add a wheelchair accessible bathroom and rebuild the damaged new gym but keep the old gym that should be considered a historical building after surviving the fire.