It began when we heard about a desire for a signature project in the district of the then California Speaker of the House, Anthony Rendon. We had previously engaged Frank Gehry and his firm Gehry Partners to work on reimagining the L.A. River revitalization. After we introduced them, Rendon and Gehry cooked up a bold idea for a collection of buildings in Southgate at the intersection of the L.A. River and the Rio Hondo River, where the County owned some underused land.

The project became called the SELA (SouthEast Los Angeles) Cultural Center. Speaker Rendon secured $124 million funding from the State Legislature allowing Gehry Partners and the eponymous landscape architectural firm of Laurie Olin to begin the design for a campus with a collection of buildings housing cultural institutions tailored to the working class communities of the area.

The forthcoming SELA Cultural Center will not just be an architectural marvel, but an investment in our region's cultural and artistic identity.

Nestled at the convergence point of the LA River and Rio Hondo in South Gate, the 8.6 acre site is the canvas upon which we will build a world-class, state-of-the-art facility to serve as a bastion of cultural expression and an educational hub.

The SELA Cultural Center will surround a central boulevard, designed as a gathering space for the people of Southeast LA.

Design sites include:

• South gardens that include a central lawn, picnic and event space

• Three visual art galleries for art exhibits, media/film gallery and fine art

• Music performance hall that accommodates a full-sized orchestra, small ensembles, dance, film screenings and a live theater

• Education facilities including a three-story music school with classroom and rehearsal spaces

• Workshop spaces featuring visual arts, printmaking, film and recording

• Culinary arts cafe that showcases local culinary arts, support workforce development and includes space for indoor and outdoor dining

• Music and art facilities with up to a 200-seat capacity for dance and other performance art.

The project continues to move forward, with design work, additional fundraising and agreements with cultural institutions. Learn more here.