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Magic Johnson Park

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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

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  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.