A rendering shows how the new Hollywood Recreation Center will be configured along Cole Avenue, north of Santa Monica Boulevard. (rendering courtesy of the city of Los Angeles)

A new gymnasium and recreation center is under construction in Hollywood as part of a two-phase project to improve Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks facilities in the 3.1-acre park along Cole Avenue and Santa Monica and Cahuenga boulevards.

The approximately $18 million project is funded through Proposition K, a voter-approved measure that generates money for parks, as well as the Quimby Act, which requires developers to contribute funds when projects are approved, and CTIEP funds, which come from the city’s Capital and Technology Improvement Expenditure Program.

The first phase of the project refurbished the Hollywood Pool at 1122 Cole Ave., which reopened in 2015 and is currently open for lap swimming and recreational swimming. The second phase was in design and development for nearly a decade and includes a complete redesign of the Hollywood Recreation Center and renovations to the surrounding park space. The city contracted with Royal Construction Corporation last June to demolish the former 4,550-square-foot recreation center building and construct the modern gymnasium. Plans call for the project to be complete in May 2027.

The new 13,912-square-foot recreation center and gym building will feature a full-size basketball court, practice courts, multipurpose rooms, computer lab, kitchen, recreation center office, restrooms, utilities room, back-up battery storage space and park equipment storage. The project also includes an outdoor playground, exercise equipment stations, landscaping and additional park lighting that use solar power. The project was designed to achieve LEED Silver level energy efficiency certification.

The Hollywood Pool remains open during construction. However, other areas of the park are closed including the fields, outdoor basketball court and playground. During construction, the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks encourages the public to use gym and fitness facilities at the Poinsettia Recreation Center, 7341 Willoughby Ave.; Pan Pacific Park Recreation Center, 7600 Beverly Blvd.; and Yucca Community Center, 6671 Yucca St. When completed, the recreation center will offer competitive sports and fitness programs, as well as youth activities, classes, and community meetings and events.

“With a new gym, upgraded facilities and improved park space, this project is going to transform how the community uses and experiences this park,” Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said. “For too long, families in Hollywood have been asked to make do with outdated facilities. This project is about changing that, and building a space that reflects the needs of Hollywood residents.”

For information on Department of Recreation and Parks facilities, visit recreation.parks.lacity.gov.