At a ceremony on March 28, Los Angeles officials commenced work on a new pocket park and recreation center at a site next to the Rail to Rail active transportation pathway.

The Slauson Connect project, which will rise on a narrow strip of land along the north side of Slauson Avenue between Budlong and Normandie Avenues, calls for the construction of a three-story building featuring a childcare center, afterschool programs, classrooms, and a new rooftop garden. Plans also call for a parking lot and a new park space featuring a garden, a multipurpose plaza, picnic tables, public restrooms, and a children's play area. 

Paul Murdoch Architects is designing the project, which is shown in plans with an exterior of perforated steel panels.

The $40-million project is one of several initiatives aimed at taking advantage of Metro's Rail to Rail corridor, which converted a former freight rail right-of-way into a 5.5-mile cycling and walking path which cuts across South Los Angeles. That includes a new park planned on LADWP-owned land a short distance east at Slauson's intersection with Figueroa Street.

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