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Municipal Improvement Corporation of Los Angeles (MICLA) / Financing / Support Construction / Jordan Downs Neighborhood Recreation Center

Council File 26-1212

Under review — the city is studying whether special financing could work for a recreation center in Watts, with a 15-day report due to sort out costs and structure before the full council votes later this month.

Introduced
2026-08-26
Last changed
2026-09-18
CFMS file status
File open See note on file status
Expires
2028-09-18
Mover
TIM MCOSKER
Second
HEATHER HUTT

This is the City Clerk's status for the council file itself, not the outcome of the measure. A file often stays open after the Council has already adopted an item. The summary above reflects the latest recorded action.

Brief

Councilmember Tim Cosker introduced a motion to finance construction of a new recreation center in the Jordan Downs neighborhood through the Municipal Improvement Corporation of Los Angeles (MICLA). The Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee approved the item on September 16, 2026. The motion is now scheduled for a full City Council vote on September 22, 2026.

Full summary

This motion, introduced by Councilmember Tim McOsker and seconded by Councilmember Heather Hutt, directs city departments to study whether MICLA financing or other city-backed debt mechanisms could fund construction of the proposed Jordan Downs Neighborhood Recreation Center in Watts. Rather than authorizing financing outright, the motion sets in motion a 15-day reporting process to determine whether such financing is even feasible and what structure it would require. The committee-approved recommendations direct the City Administrative Officer, working with the Chief Legislative Analyst and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), to report back on several specific questions: whether the project is eligible for MICLA or other city debt financing given its ownership and lease structure on HACLA-controlled land; what financing amounts could be supported and at what cost in debt service and fees; whether a TEFRA public hearing would be required; and what precedents exist for city-supported financing of facilities on property controlled by HACLA or another public agency. A separate directive asks the CAO, Recreation and Parks, and HACLA to jointly identify a broader funding strategy spanning city, state, federal, philanthropic, and private sources to keep the project on schedule. The motion also formally expresses city support for HACLA's application for up to $10 million in State of California Round 2 Resiliency Center funding for the project, and directs the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Emergency Management Department to contribute planning input so the facility can serve both daily recreational and emergency operations needs. The motion was referred to committee on August 26, 2026, rereferred to the Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee two days later, and approved unanimously by committee members Rodriguez, Nazarian, and Yaroslavsky on September 16. It is now scheduled for full Council consideration on September 22, 2026. No fiscal impact analysis has yet been completed by the CAO or the Chief Legislative Analyst.

Activity (5)

  • 2026-09-18 City Clerk scheduled item for Council on September 22, 2026.
  • 2026-09-16 Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee approved item(s) .
  • 2026-09-11 Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee scheduled item for committee meeting on September 16, 2026.
  • 2026-08-28 City Clerk rereferred item to Arts, Parks, and City Facilities Committee, pursuant to Council File No. 26-2000.
  • 2026-08-26 Motion referred to Arts, Parks, Libraries, and Community Enrichment Committee.

Documents (5)

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