A $10.1 million investment from the Bezos Earth Fund will complete funding for a more than $22 million improvement project for the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus, Mayor Karen Bass announced Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust secured the funding, which is expected to help add more than 30,000 square feet of usable park space, new shade and cooling features, new landscaping and support art and recreation initiatives.
The project is expected to be complete prior to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“This is about investing in the people of Watts and creating a space the community can be proud of,” Bass said in a statement.
The mayor said the funding marked a major milestone for a project that has been years in the making.
“Thanks to the dedication of our state, county and local partners, philanthropic supporters and community organizations, we’re one step closer to creating a greener, healthier and more vibrant campus that honors the legacy of Watts while serving generations of Angelenos to come,” Bass added.
City Councilman Tim McOsker, who represents Watts, welcomed the partnership, noting the important investment it represents for the community.
“The expanded revitalized campus will create welcoming spaces for local artists, performers, families and visitors to gather and thrive,” McOsker said in a statement.
LANLT serves as project manager and developer, overseeing design and construction in partnership with city departments and community stakeholders, including the Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Recreation and Parks, General Services Department, Bureau of Engineering and Bureau of Contract Administration.
“Over the last decade and a half of partnership with the Watts Towers Arts Center, and under the brilliant, unwavering leadership of Director Rosie Lee Hooks and Watts community members, we have facilitated community engagement, fundraising, design, and now, at last, construction,” Executive Director of LANLT Tori Kjer said in a statement.
“We are immensely grateful to break ground together on the next chapter of the historic, internationally renowned treasure that is the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus,” Kjer added.