$50 Million Privately Funded Rebuild of the Palisades Recreation Center Breaks Ground

Construction has begun on a new Palisades Recreation Center at 851 Alma Real Dr in Pacific Palisades, twenty months after the January 2025 Palisades Fire heavily damaged the City of Los Angeles facility. Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, Rick Caruso and Councilmember Traci Park took part in the groundbreaking on Tuesday, September 15, 2026. The project is a public-private partnership between the City, LA Strong Sports, the nonprofit co-founded by JJ and Chelsea Redick, and Caruso's Steadfast LA, first announced in April 2025.

Its cost of more than 50 million dollars is covered entirely by private donations, with Caruso stating that no taxpayer money will be used. Designed by Gensler with landscape architects SWA Group, the plan replaces the center's two former gyms, which totaled about 18,000 square feet, with a single 28,000 square foot building housing two indoor basketball courts and two indoor pickleball courts, plus an enlarged lobby and community rooms. Outdoors, the plan adds a two-level hillside playground, a U10 soccer field, two lighted basketball courts, bocce courts, terraced seating, an upgraded Veterans Garden and a central gathering area called the Pali Hub.

Completion is expected 14 to 16 months from groundbreaking.