Congressman Jimmy Gomez (CA-34) on Monday, Sept, 12, announced $1 million in federal funding that he secured to convert the shuttered Bridewell Armory into the Highland Park Youth Arts Center.
The $1 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be used to refurbish, retrofit, and convert the old facility into a state-of-the-art youth arts center. Several city officials, including Los Angeles City Councilman Kevin de Leon, applauded the much-awaited funding.
In a formal statement, Gomez’s office said there is a “demonstrated need and desire from the community to support the arts in Northeast Los Angeles. This Highland Park Youth Arts Center can fill that need while attracting social, cultural, and economic activity, which is especially important as we recover from the pandemic.’
The funds are part of roughly $9.5 million in federal appropriations announced on March 16 for Los Angeles-area projects. In March, Gomez said, “With over $9 million in federal funding for vital community projects, we have taken another step in furtherance of that mission.”
“These investments will directly provide benefits to my constituents across the district, including tackling urban heat in Boyle Heights, refurbishing the Highland Park Youth Arts Center, and increasing access to the Los Angeles River while restoring its ecosystems.”
Gomez also helped the city get $1.7 million to restore more than 700 acres of habitat along an 11-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River and $1 million to create a Boyle Heights neighborhood cooling project, according to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office..