The playground and small gym have reopened at Palisades Recreation Center following a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, July 31.
The small gym has reopened with several programs, Senior Facility Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi explained, including Coffee & Community on Thursdays at 11:30 a.m., Tai Chi with Guy Horton on Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m., Pickleball on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 11:30 a.m., Open Play Basketball on Tuesdays and Fridays at 4 p.m., and a Summer Ballet Camp.
Select programming is slated to continue at Palisades Recreation Center until December, with groundbreaking currently planned for January 2026 on rebuilding the property—an effort led by Steadfast LA and LA Strong Sports. Other programming, including basketball, will continue to take place at alternate locations, like Oakwood Recreation Center.
Following the Palisades fire, the tennis center and large gym were reported on the CAL FIRE Damage Inspection Map as “destroyed,” meaning they were at least 50% damaged. Debris removal work has been completed.
The recently completed new playground was funded by Los Angeles Parks Foundation, through “monetary and in-kind contributions” from FireAid, GameTime and Banc of California. It was “designed to be universally accessible and inclusive, and to offer safe and joyful spaces for children ages 2 to 12,” according to LAPF.
—SARAH SHMERLING
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