Public-Private Partnership Set to Rebuild Palisades Recreation Center After Fire Damage

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass—along with LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA and other groups—announced on April 10 the launch of a public-private partnership that will fund, redesign and rebuild Palisades Recreation Center following damage sustained in the January fire.

Built in 1947, Palisades Recreation Center was the first post-war civic building built in the area, designed by architects Bennett and Bennett. Throughout the years, Palisades Recreation Center has served as a hub of community and recreational activities, including several sports leagues, events like Eggstravaganza and Spooktacular, and Park Advisory Board meetings.

The facility faced “severe” damage during the Palisades fire, and Bass has pledged to “eliminate any and every obstacle in the way of rebuilding.”

“The Palisades Recreation Center, library and playground are each a vital piece of this community, which is why the city pushed for the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize debris removal at these landmarks,” Bass said in a statement. “We will continue this progress, and I thank everyone—LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA and key Palisades groups—for coming together for this new effort.”

LA Strong Sports was formed by JJ and Chelsea Redick, Charles and Jenna Jackson, and Kylee Kilgore to build and sustain sports, recreation facilities and programs in LA in the aftermath of the wildfires.

“We visited the Pali Rec Center the same day we decided to move to the Palisades,” JJ and Chelsea Redick said in a statement. “That visit showed us not only how important the park was as a physical space, but how the people and families who took advantage of it made up the beating heart of the community.”

“We’ve always felt strongly about taking action to create and support things that allow people to feel rooted and thrive in their communities,” Charles and Jenna Jackson added. “As Palisades residents, we know that the Pali Rec Center made that possible for us and for our neighbors and friends. Rebuilding it alongside these key community leaders so it can serve as a place to foster growth and opportunity is exactly the kind of initiative we’re excited to support.”

Steadfast LA—led by Rick Caruso—launched in February to assemble the “expertise, influence and power” of the private sector to expedite the rebuilding of the communities destroyed by the wildfires. Doing so will reportedly cut through delays and develop solutions with real estate, finance and construction departments, and others.

Steadfast LA reported it is currently working with a number of entities, including representatives from Gensler, CBRE, Parsons, Esri, Latham & Watkins LLP, and more—“all with experience building some of the most impactful places and spaces in the world,” according to a statement.

“This public-private partnership to rebuild the Rec Center with the city and in collaboration with civic leaders, local groups and industry experts demonstrates the vision of Steadfast LA in action,” Caruso said. “By bringing the public sector, the private sector and the community together to do this, we’re not only restoring an integral part of the Palisades, but we’re showing how we can effectively respond to this tragedy with the urgency that the moment demands. We intend to follow a similar approach on our projects in Altadena and Malibu as well.”

According to LA Strong Sports and Steadfast LA, early design plans have been created in collaboration with local groups—including the Pali Community Center Committee, LA Parks Foundation, Pali Strong, Pali 4 Pali, and Rec Center stakeholders Jimmy Dunne and Bob Benton.

“The coalition—which includes Gensler, a globally renowned architecture and design firm, and Latham Watkins LLP, one of the world’s leading law firms—has spent hours meeting with these groups and individuals to shape the preliminary vision for a revitalized Rec Center that honors its legacy and builds toward the future,” according to a statement.

Community input will continue to be solicited to refine and expand on the current plans.