Image: Office of Mayor Karen Bass
The Redicks said in the statement that the recreation centre was a big part of why they chose to move to the neighbourhood with their family. Mayor Bass said in a statement from her office that the city’s top pledge has been to remove every obstacle to rebuilding. Councilwoman Park recalled standing at the centre the day after the fire, surrounded by devastation, and said the beloved space is now being brought back. Caruso said Steadfast LA was formed on the principle that “the comeback is always stronger than the setback”. He called rebuilding the places where people gather the first step in restoring a community, pointed to Palisades Village as an earlier example, and said cooperation between government, business and community speeds up real progress.
They believe every community needs a place where individuals and families can play and compete, and they described rebuilding it as a significant step for their own. They added that they are glad to help make it happen alongside their neighbours and partners. She credited public-private partnerships with moving recovery forward for a community that has endured significant loss.