Sneak peek at Magic Johnson Park after $70 million renovations completed
Legendary L.A. Lakers star Magic Johnson joined the community to celebrate a $70 million renovation to the Willowbrook park named after him.
WILLOWBROOK, Calif. (KABC) -- L.A. County officials offered a look at the $70 million renovation to Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park in Willowbrook, named after the legendary Lakers star player. The renovations, approved in December 2018, are some of the largest for any park in L.A. County.
Johnson joined community members for a celebration and ribbon cutting at the park on Saturday.
"They can come and be safe and play and have a good time," Johnson said.
"What you see represents the dreams, the aspirations, the hope of many members of this community," said L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
The park now has 300 new trees, more than 30,000 plants, a redesigned lake and a half-mile walking trail. The centerpiece of the renovations is a new event center, which will be used to host conferences, educational programs and other large gatherings.
The lake will be fed by a new stormwater treatment system, which will collect runoff from surrounding communities and use that water to fill the lake.
The renovation also includes new play areas for the 250,000 children who live within five miles of the park.
The park will officially open in November with COVID-19 protocols in place.
