LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today announced that the United States Department of the Interior is awarding the City of Los Angeles $11 million in funding to support the development of Jordan Downs Central Park. The money was secured following efforts from the Housing Authority of the City Los Angeles (HACLA) in partnership with the Mayor’s Office. The improvements include a flexible lawn meadow that will double as a soccer/futsal field, two basketball courts, walking paths, lighting, seating options, native landscaping, an accessible community pool and more.
“I want to thank Secretary Deb Haaland for her work in this historic funding for parks across the nation, and for the funding to support the development of Jordan Downs Central Park in Los Angeles,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “Los Angeles has been working on a larger revitalization plan of Jordan Downs, and this funding will help to continue the redevelopment and revitalization, doing so in an environmentally friendly way that builds more housing and bike and walking paths across Jordan Downs. Thank you to HACLA for their partnership in this important revitalization and redevelopment.”
“The development of Jordan Downs Central Park will be a transformative step in ensuring that Watts has the green spaces and community areas it deserves,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “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. I'm grateful to the U.S. Department of the Interior, HACLA, and our partners for securing this important investment. Together, we can create environments where every resident can grow and succeed right in their own community.”
“The construction of this Jordan Downs Central Park is expected to increase the park area in Watts by 80%, significantly enriching the community’s access to green space and recreational opportunities,” said HACLA Chief Strategic Development Officer Jenny Scanlin. “With over 45% of the population in Watts under the age of 25, the need for healthy spaces for engagement and play are critical. Over 1,000 residents developed the design of this park based on a set of principles including Community, Safety, Healing, Aspiration, Empowerment, Inclusivity, Justice, and Creativity. HACLA looks forward to fulfilling the community’s vision.”
This funding was announced by the Department of the Interior and is a part of the single largest grant investment ever from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). Through ORLP, the National Park Service (NPS) will invest $254.68 million into 54 projects in 24 states for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks.
The ORLP program advances President Biden’s America the Beautiful Initiative, a locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration effort that aims to address the nature and climate crises, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy. Providing safe outdoor spaces for communities that are park-deprived is one of six areas of focus.
HACLA is in the process of revitalizing the Jordan Downs community, an existing public housing development with 700 units of traditional public housing in the Watts Community. Working together with development partners Bridge Housing and The Michaels Organization, HACLA has undertaken a holistic approach to community revitalization in Jordan Downs, with the construction of new housing, a shopping center and other retail spaces, job opportunities for residents, child care, parks and gathering spaces, and new infrastructure – while ensuring no displacement of the existing community and a commitment to creating new opportunities for families by providing additional affordable housing.
When completed, the community will have 1,569 new affordable and market rate housing units. The overall plan for Jordan Downs includes both rental housing and ownership opportunities, a 115,000 square foot neighborhood retail center, 45,000 square feet of ground floor commercial and amenity spaces, a large community center, and nine acres of new parks running through the center of the community. The development also involves building all new roads and infrastructure, including the new Century Boulevard, which opened in 2018.
Jordan Downs was originally built in the 1940s as housing for workers during World War II, and was converted to public housing in the 1950s. By the late 1990s, the aging buildings were suffering from significant capital investment needs. In response, HACLA launched a planning effort for the redevelopment of Jordan Downs in the late 2000’s. A specific plan was adopted by the City of Los Angeles in 2013. In 2018, HACLA was awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) grant from HUD to support new housing development as well as investments in services and economic development for residents of the community.