LANLT Projects

Estrella Park
South Los Angeles
Over twenty years ago, a garbage-strewn lot in South Los Angeles was converted to an oasis of open space in a neighborhood that had none. The effort was led by a group of fifth and sixth graders and their teachers.

The year was 1982, a class at Norwood Street Elementary School made it their project to turn a vacant lot into a neighborhood park. For years, a vacant lot on Estrella Avenue was utilized by residents as a space for auto repairs and waste. In addition, neighborhood children, youth, and families lacked open space to play, relax, and gather. In response to these conditions, the children began a campaign to create a park. Eventually, with support from local business leaders and the California Community Foundation, enough money was raised to be able to develop a park and improve the neighborhood’s quality of life.

Twenty years later, the park had fallen into disrepair and had been abandoned by the community. Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT), which was deeded the property in 2004, began working with residents to reclaim the park. Estrella Park has now become the hub of community activity it had once been. In the summer of 2005 LANLT began offering a series of programs for children, youth and adults including: yoga, kickboxing, aerobic, mural design, photography and creative writing classes. As well as a series of movie nights, which had attendance in the hundreds.

Unfortunately, the years have taken a toll on Estrella Park. Some of the facilities have become a health and safety hazard and the park’s configuration no longer fits the needs of the community. LANLT and community members worked together to develop a plan for the park’s future. The S. Mark Taper Foundation’s generous grant of $75,000 and The Annenberg Foundation’s generous grant of $83,000 will allow the park’s refurbishment to begin.

The new configuration allows for a multi-functional play structure, as well as a covered area for programming and events. Landscaping will be used to buffer the community from noise and pollution from the adjacent 110 Freeway.

Estrella Park’s wonderful history and promising future demonstrates the empowerment of individuals and communities through the creation of an essential community resource.

Watts
Watts Towers Park is proposed for the area on Santa Ana Boulevard, east of the Watts Towers to Wilmington in the Watts area of South Los Angeles. There is also an adjacent piece of Los Angeles City surplus property which fronts 108th Street that can serve as an entry point from the neighborhood into the park but is not included as part of this application. The proposed park is located on the easternmost part of the Watts Cultural Crescent area owned by the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and is approximately 30,000 square feet.

Discussions with community residents led to a design of the park which includes the following elements: a tranquil garden area, a playground, a multi-use court for basketball and volleyball, a picnic area and a splash pad. A pathway meanders around the park connecting the various elements. Greening and natural sustainable environments throughout the park are meant to attract birds and butterflies as a contrast to the harsh urban concrete landscape in Watts. The park will serve children and youth of all ages, as well as adults.

Ambassador Fields
In park-starved Koreatown, a large field sat empty and unused, cut-off from the community by construction fencing and political uncertainty. This was the former entryway to the historic Ambassador Hotel fronting Wilshire Boulevard. The plans for this area were to plant and maintain a ground cover during the period of construction before the field area was needed.

Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust’s (LANLT’s) vision was to plant grass and use the field to create programming opportunities for area youth in a dense community with no open space. With the help of Jose Huizar, then LAUSD Board Member, and Glenn Gritzner, Special Assistant to Superintendent Roy Romer, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust was able to negotiate a license from LAUSD to use the field for soccer programming.

Now on Saturdays and Sundays, youth of all ages are playing soccer on the north field. This marks the beginning of what will hopefully be a model for joint use of schools in Los Angeles.

Historic Filipinotown
In May of 2005 the Anna Bing Trust awarded LANLT and Los Angeles’ Department of Recreation and Parks four million dollars as a bequest by the late Anna Bing to build parks with playgrounds in underprivileged neighborhoods in Los Angeles. One of these sites is on 1644 Beverly Boulevard is in the heart of the area known as Historic Filipinotown. This area has been the location where many Filipino immigrants have settled. The site is approximately 7,000 square feet. The area population are largely low-income families, with the majority of housing units being renter-occupied. Residents in the community do not have backyards and other places for children to play or places for the community to gather.

The park and playground created with Bequest funding will provide a safe place for the community and its youth with active programming and management to offer an alternative to gang participation which is prevalent in the area. Classes and services will also be provided for adults based on their needs and desires. SIPA, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans, will be the primary partner in the management and programming of the park. Schools and other community-based organizations in the area have also committed to make this park a place for learning activities outside the classroom, arts and culture activities, intergenerational cultural activities, sports programming, and job training.

Panorama City
This project is the second in the Anna Bing Bequest. This was a vacant piece of City surplus property. There have been planning meetings and clean ups. The lot is approximately 6,000 square feet at 15262 Marson in Panorama City in the San Fernando Valley. Adjacent to the lot is a “paper street” which could at a later date be developed as a walking or biking trail.

Currently, there is no park or recreational facility within walking distance of the area. A park with a playground, along with other educational, job training and cultural activities will provide opportunities to residents which currently do not exist. As in many of the other areas, this area would benefit substantially from having a positive alternative to the gangs.


South Los Angeles-Broadway
This site, the third in The Anna Bing Bequest, located at 5207 Broadway is in South Los Angeles. The site is approximately 5,700 square feet. A new low-income, 50-unit housing complex with services is being adjacent to the site. This is also an area where gang activity is prevalent and residents have no parks or active recreational facilities within walking distance.

The project will also help beautify a neighborhood with a high incidence of vandalism and illegal dumping. Beyond Shelter, the developer of the housing project next dooor, will be the primary partner in the management and programming of the park. Other community-based organizations will also be involved in providing needed programming and services.

Marsh Street Skate Park
Elysian Valley
When the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC) announced that they were going to create a nature park along the Los Angeles River in Elysian Valley, the community petitioned SMMC to create active recreation. As a direct result, SMMC carved out a piece of the project for a skate park.

The Elysian Valley residential neighborhood is a low-income community intermixed with industrial uses. The neighborhood has no parks or recreational opportunities. In October 2004, the City Council Office asked LANLT to work with the youth in the area to develop and manage the skate park. LANLT's objective is to reengage the youth that were involved with the original planning for this skate park, as well as recruit more youth to participate in the project.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy will be leasing the property to the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT) and Community Development Block Grant monies will be utilized to develop the project. LANLT has begun working with residents of the Marsh Street neighborhood to re-engage the community in the creation, management, and programming of the skate park. Meetings have already been held with the youth from Marsh Street. Meetings are also being set up with the adults from the Marsh Street area to address any concerns.

The skate park will provide an important recreational activity for community youth who have few options. The skate park provides a positive alternative activity to gang involvement. Skills development programming will be offered to provide youth with valuable skills to manage the skate park and to help them in their future employment.