The City of Los Angeles has successfully secured an $11 million federal grant to aid in the creation of Jordan Downs Central Park, a new green space planned for the Watts neighborhood. This funding forms part of a larger $254.68 million investment from the Land and Water Conservation Fund's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, as reported by City News Service, Inc. The park aims to be a sanctuary of recreation with amenities like a soccer field, basketball courts, and a community pool.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed gratitude towards Secretary Deb Haaland for the historic funding, noting that the park is a piece of a broader scheme to revitalize and redevelop Jordan Downs "in an environmentally friendly way that builds more housing and bike and walking paths across Jordan Downs," according to a statement obtained by the Mayor's official website. The federal contribution is expected to significantly enhance green spaces for the community, as relayed by Jenny Scanlin, Housing Authority Chief Strategic Development Officer.
Councilmember Tim McOsker expressed eagerness to see families using the new park, especially noting the impact it will have on the young residents. "This park will be a key part of the revitalization of Jordan Downs, and I can't wait to see families, especially our young residents, enjoying a beautiful space to play, exercise, and thrive," he said in a statement echoed by the Mayor's official website.
Not only set to provide green space, the project also brings together a comprehensive revitalization effort for the community. It will feature new affordable and market-rate housing units, amounting to 1,569 residences, as well as a neighborhood retail center, job opportunities, child care facilities, parks, and infrastructure upgrades including Century Boulevard which opened in 2018. "HACLA looks forward to fulfilling the community’s vision," Scanlin conveyed, emphasizing the input from over 1,000 residents who helped design the park around principles of community and justice, according to City News Service, Inc.
The federal funding is also consistent with President Biden's America the Beautiful Initiative, aiming to improve equitable access to outdoor spaces. The Jordan Downs Central Park development is heralded as a transformative step for a neighborhood historically underserved in terms of recreational spaces and is seen as a significant component of the neighborhood's revitalization.
