LOS ANGELES — Mayor Karen Bass today joined local leaders to launch the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ new $25 million capital campaign to rebuild the Palisades-Malibu YMCA. The Pali Y, which was destroyed in January’s wildfires, had long served as a vital hub for youth development, wellness, and community connection. Mayor Bass is working across all sectors – public and private – to deliver what is on track to be the fastest disaster recovery effort in state history.
“Rebuilding the Palisades is about more than just getting families home – it’s about restoring the community spaces and local institutions that make up the heart of the community,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “With today’s announcement, we’re taking another step forward to rebuilding the Palisades more resiliently than before, from residential properties to key community spaces like the Pali Y, so they can continue serving the community for generations to come.”
“Community isn’t just about the homes we live in—it’s also about the places where we come together, where we build relationships, and where we watch our children grow,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. “The Palisades-Malibu YMCA has long been one of those beloved gathering spaces, and its loss after the fires remains deeply felt. Today’s launch is more than just a construction milestone—it’s a symbol of recovery, resilience, and hope. I’m proud to invest in rebuilding the new Lowe Family YMCA and to stand with this community as we restore what was lost. This is a vital step toward healing—and a powerful reminder that we will be back in community, together, soon.”
“We would not be at this point if it wasn’t for Mayor Bass’ team working with us to ensure a seamless rebuild process,” said Victor Dominguez, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. “At this rate, we’re on track for a very fast rebuild, because we have the right players on this team to make the new Lowe Family YMCA a reality – and to ensure that the Palisades community members will once again be able to gather at their local Y, where everyone is invited to grow, give, and get involved.”
“This marks the beginning of a new chapter for the only community center in the Palisades,” said Jim Kirtley, Executive Director of Palisades-Malibu YMCA. “The Palisades-Malibu YMCA will not only be a return to what was, but an opportunity to create something even greater.”
The Y plans to build a resilient, sustainable, and expanded dual-campus facility on Via de la Paz and Simon Meadow. The Via de la Paz site will restore what was lost in the Palisades Fire, while the Simon Meadow facility will allow the Y to expand programming and serve more families with permanent indoor-outdoor space.
The City is taking urgent action to rebuild the Palisades – efforts that have led to what is on track to be the fastest disaster recovery effort in modern California history:
Construction underway across the Palisades: To date, 445 rebuilding plans have been approved for more than 300 addresses for projects in the Palisades. Hundreds of rebuilding plans are in the process of being reviewed.
Debris removal nearly 95% complete – ahead of schedule: In coordination with the County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, nearly 95% of properties in the City of L.A. that were damaged or destroyed by the Palisades Fire have been cleared of debris and have received final sign off, a required step in the rebuilding process. The debris removal process began just 35 days after the wildfires ignited, roughly half the time it took after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.
Utilities restored at record rate: In just two months, water and power were safely restored for standing homes in the Palisades. In comparison, safe drinking water wasn’t restored until 18 months after the devastating Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
Fastest hazardous materials clearing in EPA history: Phase 1 of the debris removal finished in 28 days – months ahead of expectations – and removed more than 300 tons of hazardous materials, such as exploded lithium ion batteries, from the Palisades.
Rebuilding key community spaces: Mayor Bass pushed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize debris removal at key community spaces, including the Palisades Rec Center, Palisades Playground, and Palisades Library. The City secured private funding to replace the Pacific Palisades Playground, which reopened last month. In April, Mayor Bass, LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA and others announced the creation of a public-private partnership to fund, redesign and rebuild the Palisades Rec Center.
Supporting our Schools: In early April, Mayor Bass and LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that the Army Corps had cleared debris from the three schools in Los Angeles that were partially destroyed by the Palisades Fire – Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary, and Marquez Charter Elementary – ahead of schedule. Earlier this year, Pali High successfully relocated to the former Sears building in Santa Monica so that students could finish the school year in person.
The Mayor has been clear that every day that families can’t return home is a day too long, and she will continue taking action to expedite every aspect of the recovery effort to get them home.
Executive actions to expedite and support rebuilding:
Cutting red tape: Less than a week after the start of the Palisades Fire, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 1 (EO1) to cut red tape and streamline the rebuilding process. EO1 established the One-Stop Rebuilding Center, waived CEQA and discretionary processes, directed City departments to expedite building permit reviews in 30 days or less, and more. More than 4,000 people have been helped so far.
Providing tax relief for businesses: Following action to postpone the 2024 City business tax payment deadline for businesses affected by the wildfires, Mayor Bass issued Executive Order 3 waiving 2025 business taxes for impacted firms.
Resilient rebuilding:
On March 21, Mayor Bass issued Executive Order 5 to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses in ways that better protect against wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters. At the Mayor’s direction, City departments are developing paths forward to promote the use of fire-resistant construction materials to harden homes and businesses, further strengthen the resiliency of utilities to ensure power reliability during severe weather events, and more.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has started work to underground as much of its power system as possible, starting with building a new 34.5kv circuit on Sunset Blvd., which will serve as the ‘backbone’ for LADWP’s plans to underground residential circuits where feasible. This will enable LADWP to expand Distribution Station 29 (DS-29) and introduce a new 12kv mainline system to serve the Palisades. These upgrades will increase the resiliency and reliability of the power system in the Palisades.
Leveraging AI technology to speed up the permitting process: At the end of April, Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 10, directing the L.A. Department of Building and Safety to report back on the feasibility of implementing an AI tool to accelerate pre-plan check reviews. Last month, the City started beta testing for Archistar’s eCheck AI Pilot, which will help homeowners review building plans for compliance with local building and zoning rules prior to submitting them to the City and formally starting the application process.
Suspending the collection of rebuilding fees: Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 7 directing City departments to suspend the collection of permit and plan check fees associated with the repair or reconstruction of homes damaged or destroyed by the January wildfires, pending City Council’s adoption of an amendment to waive these fees.
Expanding pathways for expedited rebuilding: Last month, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 8 to further streamline the permitting process for those seeking to rebuild beyond 110% to align with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent order, including an expansion of the scope of single-family home projects eligible for the State's emergency suspension of CEQA and the California Coastal Act.
Local prohibition of SB 9 applications: On July 30, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 9 to prohibit Senate Bill 9 applications within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the boundaries of the Palisades Fire area, aligning with Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order.
Creating a public-facing library of pre-approved plans: Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 13 to launch a pre-approved standard plan pilot program for single-family homes, creating a public-facing, virtual library of pre-approved, code-compliant designs to fast-track rebuild projects.