A groundbreaking ceremony took place recently for a Watts campus of Children’s Institute, which offers various programs and support services for children and families affected by poverty.
The $20 million, 20,000-square-foot campus was designed-free of charge-by famed architect Frank Gehry. It will be located at 102nd Street and Success Avenue.
“The new campus is a permanent commitment to Watts and a critical resource for children and families,” Martine Singer, president/CEO of Children’s Institute, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to break ground and invest in the future of this extraordinary community.”
According to the institute, the new campus will house therapeutic programs and other services, including counseling, parenting workshops and “Project Fatherhood” sessions.
“The building will also be home to the Watts Gang Task Force, which has brokered peace in the community for nearly 15 years, along with the LAPD Community Safety Partnership, a nationally recognized model for relationship-based policing,” according to a statement from the institute.
Construction is scheduled to be completed by fall 2021.
Funding for the project came from private donations, along with New Markets Tax Credit funding that targets economic development in low-income communities.
