Heavy equipment is expected to be fired up Tuesday to demolish the old gymnasium at the Palisades Recreation Center that opened in 1950 and sustained relatively minor damage in the 2025 Pacific Palisades fire and clear the way for a new recreation center.
The gymnasium was the first post-World War 2 civic building constructed in Pacific Palisades, according to the Palisadian-Post.
It sustained minor roof damage during the Palisades Fire and the Pacific Palisades Historical Society has pushed to have the building preserved as a historic and cultural resource. The society’s president Donna Vaccarino argued there was room on the 17-acre site for a new gym and the old one.
Others in the area believe the new facility will aid the neighborhood in its recovery from the devastating fire.
The new recreation center is expected to cost about $40 million and will be financed through a public-private partnership between the city of Los Angeles and non-profits Steadfast LA, founded by developer Rick Caruso, and LA Strong Sports, cofounded by Lakers Head Coach J. J. Redick.