Developers held a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for Lulu's Place, a planned $150 million athletic and educational complex in Westchester.
The complex, located north of LAX, is set to turn 31 acres of long- vacant land into a place for sports, recreation, academic and wellness programs for free or at low-cost to area youth. It honors the late Carol "Lulu" Kimmelman, a member of the 1983 national champion USC women's tennis team and later a Los Angeles Unified School District teacher at Raymond Avenue Elementary in South Los Angeles.
"All young people deserve access to enriching sports programs and educational opportunities," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "The city is proud to be a partner in supporting the development of Lulu's Place."
"Our collaboration is breathing new life into a site adjacent to LAX that will serve Angelenos for decades to come," she added. "We remain a committed partner in helping honor Lulu Kimmelman's memory by increasing recreational opportunities for young people."
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Also attending the ceremony were Councilwoman Traci Park, county Supervisor Holly Mitchell, LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin, John Ackerman, CEO of Los Angeles World Airports, and Board of Airport Commissioners President Karim Webb.
Kimmelman Family Foundation is spearheading the project and providing major financial support. The project is funded entirely by philanthropic donations, including from the United States Tennis Association and its charitable arm, the USTA Foundation, TGR Foundation, Jersey Mike's, Karsh Family Foundation, Cedars-Sinai, Providence and others.
LA World Airports leased the property where the athletic facilities are being built to Lulu's Place for 50 years.
Doug Kimmelman, Carol's husband, said Lulu's Place has been an "ambitious vision" that his family dreamed up years ago.
"My four children and I are deeply committed to honoring Lulu's legacy and her passionate belief in the power of tennis and other sports to impart valuable life skills that are essential for personal growth and academic success," Kimmelman said in a statement.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles is also planning to incorporate a TGR Learning Lab on the adjacent St. Bernard High School campus. The TGR Foundation develops labs to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
"Lulu's Place is a huge win for the students who attend school in our community, including our own students, and will be a catalyst for positive change," Archdiocese Senior Director and Superintendent of Catholic Schools Paul Escala said in a statement.
Programs at Lulu's Place are expected to serve thousands of under- resourced students each year. Located along Westchester Parkway near the airport, the center is within a short distance of more than a dozen K-12 schools, many of which receive Title 1 funding and serve low-income students, foster care youth, non-native English speakers and youth who have experienced trauma at home.
L.A.-based architecture and design firm RIOS designed the project, which will include indoor and outdoor areas for community gathering and youth programs, green spaces, a welcome center, offices and areas for athletic training and mentoring programs. Additional buildings will provide areas dedicated to health care services for student-athletes and training.
Construction is expected to take two years.
"This is a once-in-a-generation investment toward creating inter- generational change," Kimmelman said. "Our goal is for Lulu's Place to become a national model for making sports and education more equitable for youth."
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