LOS ANGELES — Today, Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks were joined by community members to celebrate the grand opening of a new playground at Hope and Peace Park. The community event featured music, free food, a sports clinic, and a resource fair with booths from City departments and local nonprofits.
“The park improvements unveiled today are an exciting win for the children and families who live in the Westlake neighborhood and have been asking for this for years,” said Councilmember Hernandez. “We were able to deliver for the community because of the direct result of voters from across the County who saw the critical need for more investment into our parks and public space and we are excited for Hope and Peace Park to continue to be a location for our residents to gather and play.”
The update to the park includes a new 1,820 square foot playground structure that features three slides, five climbers, and seven play panels as well as renovations to existing park infrastructure to offer a refreshed and clean space for children and families to gather.
"Today as we celebrate the grand opening of Hope and Peace Park, let us embrace this beautiful green space and come together to enjoy it with our fellow neighbors, family and friends," said Chinyere Stoneham, Assistant General Manager of Recreation and Parks. "This park will be a symbol of the community's resilience and serve as a reminder to our nurturing spirit of hope and peace in our city."
The improvements to Hope and Peace Park were funded by the Los Angeles County Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Measure (Measure A). This ballot measure was approved by voters in 2016 to fund park and recreational facilities projects in order to provide the upgrades and repairs needed at public spaces across L.A. County. The project was allocated $440,000 from Measure A to revitalize and upgrade the park. In addition to the new playground, two trash receptacles and two benches have been installed, wall and water fountains have been repaired, and the surrounding fence and basketball court lines have been repainted.
“Cómo padres entendemos la necesidad de espacios como este, donde nuestros hijos crezcan, interactúen y compartan con otros niños; eso les permite formar en ellos un desarrollo físico y mental, en armonía y unidad mente sana en cuerpo sano,” said María de los Ángeles Cruz Gómez, a local Westlake resident. “Los cambios se logran, si todos nos involucramos en ellos. Consciente de que esté es uno más de los muchos proyectos, presentes y futuros, en beneficio de nuestra comunidad. Gracias concejal Hernandez.”
“As a youth council member for CD1, I know the importance of having green spaces. Living in Westlake throughout my childhood, we did not get the luxury of living in a house or having a backyard of our own to play in,” said Jesus Hernandez, L.A. City Youth Council Member for Council District 1. “Having a park in the neighborhood is essential for our youth because it gives them a space to exercise, play their favorite sports, breathe fresh air and socialize with one another. A park brings youth and families together, which, in turn, form bonds in the community.”
Located in the Westlake neighborhood, Hope and Peace Park provides critically needed recreational space in an area identified as a Very High Park Need Study Area by the L.A. County Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment. Westlake is one of L.A.’s most densely populated communities, where over 20,000 people live within a half-mile from the park. The project is the latest in a series of new playground and park upgrades Councilmember Hernandez has brought to her district.
CLICK HERE for photos, b-roll, and mockups of the newly installed playground structure.