Over 500 neighbors, partners, and community organizations gathered on Aug. 3 to join Councilmember Curren Price in dedicating the South Los Angeles Greenway. This transformative initiative aims to revitalize Slauson Avenue, introducing new green spaces, recreational areas, cycling and walking paths for neighbors to enjoy.
The dedication ceremony featured County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, LADWP Commissioner Wilma J. Pinder, Recreation & Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim, Metro Chief Planning Officer Ray Sosa, and SLATE-Z President/CEO Zahirah Mann.
“By working in sync and locking arms, we are making significant strides in enhancing the well-being of our community, providing much needed green spaces, and improving pedestrian and cycling infrastructure,” said Price. “Years from now, we will all enjoy the beauty of a more welcoming Slauson Avenue.”
Related Stories:
https://lasentinel.net/curren-price-hosts-the-return-of-the-central-avenue-jazz-festival.html
The festival offered family-friendly activities and valuable resources for attendees, complimentary breakfast and lunch, a fruit and vegetable distribution, planting activities, a nature walk, a tree tour, bird watching, a scavenger hunt, sound baths, yoga, and more.
“I was honored to celebrate with Councilmember Price and South LA residents what will become a network of parks and green spaces connected by biking and walking paths,” said Mitchell. “These types of investments today make it possible to breathe cleaner air and ensure safe passage for communities across generations to benefit and enjoy.”
The South LA Greenway project supports the community’s needs and the future of environmental sustainability. The efforts in CD 9 complement Metro’s $143 million Rail to Rail (R2R) project, which is converting abandoned rail lines into shaded areas with trees, walking and biking paths, and improved lighting.
The Greenway will intersect a string of three new neighborhood parks in the 9th District: the Slauson Connect Recreation and Education Center; Sen. Bill Greene Memorial Park and Slauson & Wall Park, all in various stages of development.
“Working with our City family and local partners, we have been able to continue to transform former vacant LADWP properties into community green spaces that help connect the South LA Greenway,” said Commissioner Pinder.
“As LA’s municipal water and power utility, we’re committed to providing clean, affordable, and reliable water and power service to our customers, and to serving as a community partner to help bring added benefits to our communities and balance the scales of equity.”
The Sen. Bill Greene Memorial Park, in partnership with LADWP, is breathing new life into a vacant lot on Figueroa and Slauson that has sat empty for over 40 years. This park will include an amphitheater, an outdoor fitness area, a tree canopy, and more.
The Slauson Connect Recreation and Education Center along Slauson Avenue, between Normandie and Budlong Avenue, will provide local youth with opportunities in digital media arts, such as broadcasting and game design. The state-of-the-art community hub will feature pedestrian and bike pathways, a green screen studio, a multipurpose editing and gaming lab, a daycare center, afterschool programs, a vegetative roof terrace, and much more.
The Slauson & Wall project is redeveloping a city-owned block to include a four-acre park, as well as commercial and retail space, and over 500 residential units, with 50 percent designated as affordable housing. It will also include playground equipment, a picnic area, a basketball court, greenery, and a pedestrian path.
“Our proposed South LA Greenway is an intentional strategy to foster a healthy and more livable community,” Price added. “The local parks, bike paths, and walking trails create a unique opportunity to promote family-friendly infrastructure.”
