Mayor Bass and City Leaders Announce Private Funding to Restore Palisades Playground As Progress Continues Months Earlier Than Expected

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today announced that the City has secured private funding to replace the Pacific Palisades playground thanks to the generous donation of nearly $1 million from FireAid and $300,000 in-kind from GameTime to the Los Angeles Parks Foundation. Including an additional donation from Banc of California's Wildfire Relief & Recovery Fund, the total support for the playground comes to more than $1.3 million.

"While families work on rebuilding their homes, the City is urgently working to rebuild the historic Palisades Village to serve the community," said Mayor Karen Bass. "We must pay special attention to the trauma young people have experienced during this time and support them as we recover. We continue this rebuild months ahead of expectations and we will continue to work urgently until all Palisadians are back home."

This expedited restoration is made possible thanks to the generosity of FireAid and its Board of Directors including the Annenberg Foundation as well as Banc of California and GameTime. These funds will allow for an expedited restoration and modernization of the Palisades playground that has served the community for 35 years.

"For the past two years, closing the funding gap to modernize this playground has been one of my top priorities-for safety, accessibility, and because our families deserve high-quality community spaces," said Councilwoman Traci Park. "I'm grateful to our funding partners for hearing our voices and stepping up with this critical investment, and to our community for their relentless advocacy to improve our neighborhood spaces."

The mission of the Los Angeles Parks Foundation is to enhance, expand, preserve and advocate for public recreation, parks, and open spaces for the diverse population of Los Angeles. The organization will oversee the project with the funding they have obtained and plans to initiate it soon. "We express our deep gratitude to FireAid, GameTime and Banc of California for their generous donations," said Tony Budrovich, President and CEO of the LA Parks Foundation. "This support comes out of a successful private and public partnership aimed at revitalizing the playground within the Palisades community. The Park plays a vital role in the community, providing families with opportunities for recreation and fostering a sense of togetherness, which is more important than ever."

"This playground has been at the heart of the Palisades community. Replacing it with modern, accessible amenities is an exciting step forward in bringing families back together and helping our community heal," said Jimmy Kim, General Manager LA City Parks."We are incredibly grateful to FireAid, GameTime, Banc of California, and the LA Parks Foundation for making this amazing gift possible."

"The Palisades Park Advisory Board welcomes this transformative gift and the recovery it will help to bring about," said Andrew Starrels, Chairman of Palisades Park Advisory Board. "Palisadians love their public spaces and are thankful to the Mayor, the Councilmember and everyone who has worked to make the Park a park again."

Catering to children from 5 to 14 years old, there will be two adjacent playgrounds featuring a new rubber surface. These modernised play areas will be fully accessible and equipped with integrated shade to ensure a secure environment for play. Additionally, the design will incorporate a play fire truck as an homage to first responders for their dedicated efforts in combating the Palisades fire.