Leimert Plaza Park – located in the heart of the Crenshaw District – will undergo a series of enhancements this month as part of a partnership with the Office of Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, city of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the LA Parks Foundation and City National Bank.
The enhancements will include construction and installation of an enclosure around the perimeter; restoration of the central fountain; new grass, flowers and plants, a state-of-the-art irrigation system; and general beautification and clean-up amenities.
“Leimert Park is the center of the African-American community here in the Crenshaw District,” said Los Angeles City Council President Herb J. Wesson, Jr. “The planned enhancements to Leimert Plaza Park complement the development and investment in our community. This partnership between the city, the LA Parks Foundation and City National Bank is a great example for others. ”
“The renovated Leimert Plaza Park will better serve the local community in this historic area,” said Judith Kieffer, executive diretor of the LA Parks Foundation, a nonprofit started to support the city’s department of Recreation and Parks. “We’re proud to have this public-private partnership with City National Bank and the Department of Recreation and Parks to improve Leimert Plaza Park.”
Built in 1928 and designed by Walter H. Leimert, Leimert Park stands out as one of Los Angeles’ first planned communities. Leimert Plaza Park was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, sons of Frederick Law Olmsted, who was considered the “father of American landscape architecture.” Over a long and distinguished career, he designed New York’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and many other important public spaces across the U.S. The park that the brothers built, Leimert Plaza Park, was the pride of the community – a gem of a park whose centerpiece was a majestic cascading fountain.
“This investment demonstrates City National’s deep commitment to support the social, cultural and economic prosperity of the Crenshaw District as it continues to undergo significant development,” said Peter Jackson, branch manager at Crenshaw branch for City National Bank, the largest bank based in Los Angeles. “We look forward to the multi-year promise to restore this park and make it a beautiful, safe and inviting place for residents to spend time.”
City National Bank opened a full-service banking office in the Crenshaw District in 2017. Its team delivers relationship-focused personal and business banking capabilities to individuals and their families as well as small businesses, nonprofit organizations, professional and investors. The branch is located at 3739 South Crenshaw Boulevard.
The office enables City National to support the economic growth of the Crenshaw District and support opportunities there. With $48.7 billion in assets, City National Bank provides banking, investment and trust services through 72 offices in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, Nevada, New York City, Nashville, Atlanta, Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. In addition, the company and its investment affiliates manage or administer $64.9 billion in client investment assets.
City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. RBC serves more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the United States and 34 other countries.
Leimert Plaza Park has long been part of the African-American community in Los Angeles and is a frequent gathering place for community acitivism, culture and celebration. For nearly 10 years, Leimert Plaza Park has hosted the Leimert Park Art Walk, which highlights both contemporary and historic African-American art. Lemiert Plaza Park has also hosted the Kwanzaa Heritage Festival, held by the Kwanzaa Heritage Foundation every December, and the Louisiana to Los Angeles Festival, held by the Louisiana to Los Angeles Organizing Committee.
The Los Angeles Parks Foundation is a nonprofit created to support the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks. The mission of the Foundation is to enhance, expand, preserve and promote recreation and parks for the people of Los Angeles. The Foundation is an example of the unique benefits that can be realized through public-private partnerships. The Foundation supports LA City parks through programs and initiatives such as Adopt-A-Park, Donate-A-Bench and Friend of the Parks. In addition, the Foundation raises funds for small and large projects throughout the city.
