In a ceremony held on October 29, the Port of Los Angeles and local officials broke ground on the $70.8-million Wilmington Waterfront Promenade.

The project, which has been planned for more than 15 years, calls for transforming a vacant industrial site near Banning's Landing Community Center into a nine-acre park for local residents.  In addition to a new walkway along the harbor, the open space will include a public pier and dock, a playground, parking, and restrooms.

 “We have worked diligently over the years to create more open spaces and recreational areas for the residents of Wilmington,” said 15th District Los Angeles City Councilman Buscaino in a news release. “It is most important that we are constantly creating buffers between the Wilmington community and heavy industry. This project will deliver a new waterfront that will be a game changer for Wilmington and the L.A. Waterfront.”

Sasaki Associates, Inc. is designing the park, which will also require realigning water Street adjacent to a railroad right-of-way.  The promenade will connect to a second green space - the four-acre Avalon Promenade and Gateway - via a new pedestrian bridge which will cross over the train tracks.

Completion of the waterfront promenade is expected by 2023.

The Port of Los Angeles is also in the midst of construction on a similar project in the neighboring community of San Pedro, a $33-million promenade and town square which will feed into the 42-acre West Harbor complex.