The City of West Hollywood has received a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) for the Aquatic and Recreation Center (ARC) at West Hollywood Park. Public access to the ARC will be accomplished in a phased approach to protect the safety and welfare of the public and users of the facility. In anticipation of receiving the CofO, the City’s Recreation Services Division staff has been working on the beginning stages of phasing in public use and programming beginning with swim lessons, tiny tot programming, and limited gymnasium use. The Division has been working with the various groups and stakeholders on timelines and accessibility and is working towards the expansion and use of the ARC over the next several weeks and months ahead. 

The phased opening process provides the necessary integrated training scenarios for staff to become familiar with programs, constituent patterns, and access throughout the new facility. During the first phase of the ARC opening, recreation programs, events, contract classes, and user groups will slowly begin use of the ARC as staff begin to lead programs and work in the facility on a day-to-day basis. Subsequent phasing for both the park and aquatics will include extended hours and additional programs and activities programmed and led by the City’s Recreation Services staff, contract instructors, or community organizations.

The initial phased opening programs are:

Aquatic Center - Swim Lessons, Junior Lifeguard Program, and a phased opening to limited user groups will begin. Over the next few weeks, additional aquatic programming will become available for user groups, lap swim, fitness club, recreational swim, and Splash Camp.  

Recreation Center - Programs and activities such as Fundamentals of Sports, Tot Time Camp, Tiny Tots, Summer Camp, and a phased opening to select user groups has also begun.

An official opening ceremony is anticipated to be scheduled for later this summer, with details forthcoming at www.weho.org/calendar. Given the recent rise in positive COVID-19 cases, further opening and availability of space may be impacted by Los Angeles County Department of Public Health COVID-19 protocols.

The City looks forward to being able to open the children’s playground at West Hollywood Park, but it remains closed at this time. The City has commenced completion work under guidance of the playground manufacturer and its installation contractor after deficiencies in installation were identified following a state-mandated Playground Safety Audit and site inspections. The City knows this is especially frustrating and is working to open the playground for community use as soon as possible. In the interim, the City operates two (2) playgrounds at other locations: Kings Road Park (1000 N. Kings Road) and Plummer Park (7377 Santa Monica Boulevard). The playground at Plummer Park is the largest playground operated by the City of West Hollywood.

A large portion of the park-site at West Hollywood Park is open, including:

• Adult Fitness Equipment: Open to the public.
• El Tovar Place: Open to the public. El Tovar Place provides east to west access through West Hollywood Park between N. San Vicente Boulevard and N. Robertson Boulevard including access to the parking structures.
• Expanded Turf Areas: Open to the public. There is access from N. San Vicente Boulevard, N. Robertson Boulevard, El Tovar Place, and from the third level of the West Hollywood Park Five-Story Parking Structure located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.
• New Public Art: Open to the public. Parallel Perpendicular by artist Phillip K. Smith III is located in the Robertson Gardens area.
• Robertson Gardens: Open to the public. There are picnic tables and an expanded turf area for passive recreation activities.
• West Hollywood Park restrooms adjacent to the City’s Small Dog Park: Open to the public.
• West Hollywood Park Picnic Zones: Available by reservation.

For park updates, subscribe to the City’s West Hollywood Park Master Plan Phase II e-notifications list to receive updates. For information about Recreation programming, please visit www.weho.org/recreation.

For more information, please contact Erin Hamant, City of West Hollywood Senior Administrative Analyst, at ehamant@weho.org or (323) 848-6859. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

The City of West Hollywood remains in a declared local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. West Hollywood City Hall is open for in-person walk-in transactions at public counters or by appointment; to make an appointment, visit www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services remain accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.  City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus.

For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood @wehocity on social media, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.