J.J. Redick, the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, joined Mayor Karen Bass and property developer Rick Caruso — two political rivals — on Thursday to launch a private-public partnership to rebuild recreation facilities destroyed by fire.
In a press statement, Caruso’s nonprofit organization Steadfast LA, which is devoted to rebuilding after the Palisades and Eaton fires, said:
At an event earlier today with Mayor Karen Bass and the City of Los Angeles, LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA, and key Palisades groups announced the creation of a public-private partnership that will fund, redesign, and rebuild the Palisades Recreation Center. The Palisades Recreation Center, which was partially destroyed and severely damaged during January’s wildfires, previously served as a hub of community and recreational activity for residents in the Pacific Palisades and others across the Westside of the city.
Early design plans were created through in-depth collaboration with key local groups, including the Pali Community Center Committee, the LA Parks Foundation, PaliStrong, Pali 4 Pali, and longtime Pali Rec Center stakeholders, namely Jimmy Dunne of Veterans Gardens, Bob Benton of the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association, and various members of the Park Advisory Board. The coalition — which includes Gensler, a globally renowned architecture and design firm, and Latham Watkins LLP, one of the world’s leading law firms – has spent hours meeting with these groups and individuals to shape the preliminary vision for a revitalized Rec Center that honors its legacy and builds toward the future. Renderings of the new park and indoor gym are available here and community input in coordination with the above groups and other key stakeholders will continue to be solicited in the weeks ahead to refine and expand upon the initial plans.
Anchor Elex Michaelson of Fox affiliate KTTV-11 joked that Redick should now be sent to Russia or the Middle East, given his peacemaking abilities, having brought together Bass and Caruso, who ran against each other in 2022.
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Redick, a resident of the Palisades, lost his home and possessions in the fire. That did not stop him from leading a revived Lakers team to third place in the Western Conference.
Caruso’s Steadfast LA is devoted to leading private sector efforts to rebuild. Under a private-public partnership, the city contracts with private companies or nonprofit corporations to provide public services. Several such partnerships already exist in L.A., and more are expected in the Palisades.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
