Wave Staff and Wire Reports
WATTS — A park project — part of the revitalization of the Jordan Downs Housing Project — has secured $11 million in federal funding, which is expected to increase green space for residents by 80%, Mayor Karen Bass’ office announced Sept. 27.
The project, known as the Jordan Downs Central Park, will provide a soccer field, two basketball courts, walking paths, lighting and a community pool, among other amenities.
The funding comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which is part of a total $254.68 million for 54 projects in 24 states for new parks, according to the mayor’s office.
“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,” Bass said in a statement.
“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,” she added.
According to Jenny Scanlin, the chief strategic development officer for the city’s Housing Authority, which oversees Jordan Downs, the park will “significantly” enrich the lives of Watts residents.
“With over 45% of the population in Watts under the age of 25, the need for healthy spaces for engagement and play are critical,” Scanlin said in a statement. “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.”
L.A. City Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents the 15th District, which includes Watts, expressed his support for the project.
“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,” McOsker said. “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.
The Housing Authority of the City Los Angeles is in the process of revitalizing the Jordan Downs community, which includes an existing public housing development with 700 units of traditional public housing. The revitalization project is expected to bring new housing, a shopping center and other retail spaces, as well as jobs and child care facilities, the mayor’s office said.
When completed, the Watts area will have 1,569 new affordable and market rate housing units, according to city officials.
The Jordan Downs plan includes 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. The development also features new roads and infrastructure, including 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, the city’s Housing Authority launched a planning effort for the redevelopment of Jordan Downs.
A specific plan was adopted by the city in 2013. In 2018, the Housing Authority was awarded a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to support new housing development as well as investments in services and economic development for residents of the community.
