The City of Los Angeles, Bureau of Engineering, officially announced this month its selection of grantees for its Prop K eighth funding cycle, and the LTSC Community Development Corporation was one of the agencies selected for the highly competitive funding awards.
LTSC Community Development Corporation was awarded a $1.3 million grant to fund the construction of the Budokan of Los Angeles, which is a multi-purpose recreational facility in Little Tokyo.
The Budokan project will be located at 237-249 Los Angeles St., between Second and Third streets, near the Little Tokyo Branch Library and Vibiana LA. It will consist of a gymnasium, community space and a rooftop park, and will feature an array of sports (basketball, volleyball and martial arts), after-school programs, special events, tournaments, and programming for all ages.
“I am extremely excited and pleased that the Budokan project received this highly competitive Prop K funding,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, who represents the Little Tokyo community. “The Budokan project will benefit the community in multiple ways by bringing a much-needed recreational facility and park space to the area. The award also recognizes that this worthy project will serve a broad and diverse audience in Downtown Los Angeles and the Little Tokyo community.”
The passage of Proposition K created a citywide assessment district, which will generate $25 million each year in funds for the acquisition, improvement, construction and maintenance of city parks, recreation facilities and other projects through an annual real property tax assessment on city residents over a 30-year period. Funding is for capital improvements and maintenance.
The primary purpose ofProp K is to combat the inadequacies and decay of the city’s youth infrastructure, which has resulted in serious unmet needs for parks, recreation, child care and community facilities.
“I would like to thank the City of Los Angeles for their partnership with LTSC on the Budokan project and for their recognition on the importance of expanding recreational opportunities in the Downtown area for a broad range of potential users, especially for many within the area who don’t have access to affordable recreational opportunities,” said Dean Matsubayashi, executive director of Little Tokyo Service Center. “The Budokan project will fulfill many of these unmet needs, plus provide a boost to the local economy and serve as a cultural icon for Little Tokyo in the near future.”
The Budokan of Los Angeles is currently working on a $22 million capital campaign that was launched in August 2011. LTSC anticipates that the capital campaign will run for approximately 2½ to 3 years, with an anticipated groundbreaking in 2015 and an estimated construction time frame of 16 months.
For more information, visit www.budokanoflosangeles.org.
LTSC Community Development Corporation is a non-profit community-based organization that has been providing services for over 30 years to the greater Los Angeles community. Programs include but are not limited to: assistance for victims of domestic violence, support groups, child abuse and neglect outreach, emergency food and shelter assistance, affordable housing, and community redevelopment.