Palisades Recreation Center Gyms Close for Renovations

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The Palisades Recreation Center’s big and small gyms are getting face-lifts—thanks to the Los Angeles Clippers.

“The Clippers donated $10 million to the city to redo all courts, indoor and outdoor, to make Clippers community courts,” Park Director Erich Haas explained to the Palisadian-Post.

In an effort to improve youth fitness and access to sports, the Clippers Foundation announced the donation in April, which will be spent on renovating nearly 350 basketball courts in city parks by 2020.

The donation will allow the city to have renovations done by the start of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—something that Mayor Eric Garcetti said that, without the donation, probably would not have been finished in time.

Palisades Recreation Center was placed in the first phase. Starting July 5, both gyms will be closed.

Haas explained that the big gym is getting a refurbishment, meaning the floors will be sanded and the lines will be repainted. When the floor is complete, it will feature a Clippers logo in the middle.

Work on the big gym is expected to take seven to 14 days.

The small gym, however, will need a bit more work, and will remain closed until mid-August.

“I’ve been here for over 10 years and nothing has been done while I’ve been here,” Haas said.

The court will be completely redone, with a new subfloor and floor.

Haas noted that the work covered by the Clippers Foundation will only be on the floor—no walls or windows will be touched.

The Preschool Camp that meets at the rec center will not be affected and basketball clinics will still be held outside.

Senior clubs, including bridge, badminton, line dancing and volleyball, have been canceled for the entire month of July through mid-August, depending on which gym the program uses.

But by mid-August, both gyms will be ready, and fall basketball league teams will be playing on new floors.

“I’m very excited,” Haas told the Post. “It’s going to look really nice and it’s needed, especially in the small gym.”

The next Park Advisory Board meeting is scheduled for July 18 at 6 p.m. at Palisades Branch Library.