On August 3, elected officials and community members will congregate on a parking lot in Little Tokyo to officially break ground on the Terasaki Budokan.

The $25-million project, a longtime vision of neighborhood stakeholders, will rise on a City-owned parking lot at 237-249 S. Los Angeles Street.  The muti-purpose sports and activities center will accommodate martial arts tournaments, performances, basketball and volleyball games and numerous other activities.

According to the Rafu Shimpo, Little Tokyo Service Center has named the the center in honor of the late Dr. Paul Terasaki, a Japanese American philanthropist and pioneer in tissue typing.

Previous reports point to a completion date in 2018.