River Garden Park Project
What is the River Garden Park project?
The Los Angeles River Center & Gardens is a project by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and is owned and managed by the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority. The River Garden Park project is located in the LA River Center & Gardens and is spearheaded by MRCA. The project aims to revitalize the park into a beautiful green natural space. MRCA will listen to the opinions and thoughts of the community, families, and residents. MRCA intends to renovate the space based on community feedback, which includes that of seniors and children from the community.
Homes sat along Avenue 26 in 1902, and by 1953 the first offices for the future Los Angeles River Center and Gardens were built. The one-story industrial office building went on to be the property of the well-known Lawry's Restaurant. In 1998, SMMC and MRCA purchased Lawry's and renovated the space into the Los Angeles River Center & Gardens. The River Center has grown, providing office space for community groups and non-profit organizations, available space to host special public and private events, and is home to the River Garden Park. Mujeres de la Tierra is collaborating with MRCA by hosting a variety of outreach and community events in the park for the community to enjoy and share feedback on the River Garden Park.
About MRCA
The MRCA is dedicated to the preservation and management of local open space and parkland, wildlife habitat, coastal access, watershed lands, and trails in both wilderness and urban settings, and to ensuring access to public parkland and coastal resources. The MRCA works in cooperation with the SMMC and other local government partners to acquire parkland, participate in vital planning processes, work towards wildfire resilience, connect wildlife habitats, and complete major park improvement projects.
Studio MLA River Garden Park Design Concepts
River Garden Park Design Article
About the Original Park Design
In 1999, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased part of the abandoned Lawry's California Center and transformed it into the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens. Calvin Abe designed the site drawing inspiration from the source of the Los Angeles River, Spritzer Falls.
