Magic Johnson Park

Magic Johnson Park
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Recreation Area
Lake and community center
Map
Location905 E El Segundo Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90059
Coordinates33°55′25″N 118°15′28″W / 33.9236°N 118.2577°W / 33.9236; -118.2577
ParkingFree parking lots

Magic Johnson Park is a 104-acre (420,000 m2) recreation area operated by Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation in the Willowbrook neighborhood. It is named after Los Angeles Lakers star and activist Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

A $80 million renovation of the park was completed in 2020, adding improvements like a 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) community events center,[1] playgrounds for kids and 300 new trees.[2] "There are new jogging paths, drought-tolerant native-plant gardens studded with sagebrush and sycamores, scenic overlooks” and a community center designed by Paul Murdoch Architects with interior murals by Carla Jay Harris.[3]

Earvin Magic Johnson Recreation Area

The park also captures and filters runoff water from a storm drain under El Segundo Blvd., diverting it from Compton Creek, and releases it into wetlands and lakes at the park for further bioremediation.[3] The park has two lakes that attract waterfowl like mallards, wigeons and Muscovy ducks.[4] Formerly the site included an ExxonMobil Oil storage and distribution site that polluted the ground beneath it and the Ujima Village public housing project.[5]

References

  1. ^ Sharp, Steven (February 17, 2021). "$83-million renovation of Willowbrook's Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park completed". Urbanize LA. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Powell, Amy (October 5, 2020). "Sneak peek at Magic Johnson Park in Willowbrook after $70 million renovations completed". ABC7. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Miranda, Carolina A. (May 23, 2021). "It's not all fun and games; While visitors relax, Magic Johnson Park does crucial work, capturing and recycling water". Los Angeles Times. pp. E8.
  4. ^ Higgins, Lila; Pauly, Gregory B. M (2019). Wild L.A.: Explore the Amazing Nature in and Around Los Angeles. Timber Press. ISBN 978-1604697100.
  5. ^ Dale, Mariana (January 10, 2023). "Willowbrook Park, Fed By Rainwater, Is An Example of LA's Stormwater Treatment Future". LAist. Retrieved January 11, 2023.


Stub icon

This Los Angeles County, California–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.