A number of Los Angeles-based non-profit organizations along with members of the community gathered on Tuesday, August 2 to garner support for a community center to be included in the layout of a development project which includes new office spaces and apartment units in Koreatown.
The project is to be constructed on Vermont Avenue and Shatto Place between 4th and 6th Streets.
“Koreatown is one of the most densely populated areas of the city, yet is among the most park-poor and community-resource poor areas,” Lois Arkin, founder of Cooperative Resources & Services Project (CRSP), the developer of Los Angeles Eco-Village, said. “It is also one of the most polluted areas with a high population of children and seniors.”
A parks assessment report showed that Koreatown has a lack of parks. Koreatown currently has 0.1 park acres per 1,000 people, which is lower than the Los Angeles County average of 3.3 park acres per 1,000 people.
The proposed Koreatown Arts & Recreation Center would be a 30,000 to 40,000 square-feet facility consisting of a pool area, basketball area, and various spaces for senior activities, performing arts classes, sports, and fitness programs. It would also accommodate after-school programs for students attending LAUSD elementary and middle-schools in the neighboring area.
The project has currently secured one million dollars of the 10 million needed to make the recreation center a reality. A County Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on August 9th, a meeting to secure the final vote that would approve the community center as part of county’s redevelopment plan.
“There will be a public comments section that will be made possible in Korean and Spanish during which members of the community can directly connect with the board,” Steve Kang, executive director at the Korean American Coalition, said. “We believe it will be approved on Tuesday and we need community members to attend the meeting to show their support for the community center.”
