Long-discussed improvement projects in and around Koreatown — some first proposed more than a decade ago — are beginning to take shape as LA moves closer to hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Among them are the Olympic Gateway at Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue, pedestrian improvements near the Koreatown Senior and Community Center and a stormwater capture project connected to MacArthur Park.
Koreatown Gateway
Picture a roughly 50-foot gateway structure with LED lighting at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.
Construction on the Olympic Gateway, a project first proposed in 2008, is expected to begin in the fall after years of delays tied largely to funding.
Steve Kang, president of the LA Board of Public Works, said the project has been divided into two phases to address rising material costs. The first part was authorized late last year, which included ordering materials to erect the gateway, Kang said.
“The second phase is when all the materials arrive and are assembled, will be to break ground and complete construction,” Kang said.
The city is aiming to break ground by early fall.
“What has been the biggest challenge is, because of the tariffs, steel prices have gone up significantly,” Kang said. “That is having some impact on the overall budget and that’s why we bifurcated the project into two phases so that we keep the project momentum going.”
The project’s cost has increased to nearly $6 million, and about $2.6 million has been raised so far. Kang said funding challenges were the primary reason the project stalled for years.
“The Korean American community and the Koreatown community have been advocating for a gateway similar to that of Chinatown and other ethnic communities for a long time,” he said.
He also cited complications tied to the site, including the proximity of an elementary school.
PUB Construction CEO Chris Yi, who’s overseeing the project, said he’s excited to finally have a landmark that represents the Korean community.
Pedestrian improvements near the Koreatown Senior and Community Center
At the same intersection, the city is moving forward with a pedestrian improvement project focused on the sidewalks surrounding Dawooljeong, a traditional Korean pavilion on the northeast corner of Olympic Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.
The LA City Public Works Commission recently selected the contractor for the project, which is expected to cost around $285,000.
According to Kang, the work will include new sidewalk paving, curb ramps, benches, trash receptacles, lighting and trees.
“It’s really going to beautify that corner of that intersection,” he said.
The project will add two benches, two trash receptacles, four trees and five tree uplights, which are lights aimed up at a tree. Construction is expected to take about 180 days, with completion planned within the 2026 calendar year.
The area was prioritized in part because of the nearby senior center and frequent foot traffic by older residents. The city plans to coordinate construction to avoid disrupting the annual LA Korean Festival held each fall near Normandie Avenue.
MacArthur Park stormwater capture project
Put an asterisk next to this project, because even if it starts tomorrow, it will be cutting it close to the completion date.
This project would change the look of MacArthur Park Lake, and the construction would likely stretch over a roughly 2 1/2-year period.
The stormwater capture and treatment project is designed to divert and treat stormwater from a roughly 200-acre drainage area before it reaches Ballona Creek.
Stormwater will flow through a pretreatment system, before arriving at a treatment unit in MacArthur Park and either diverted into the park’s lake or returned to the storm drain system. The project is intended to reduce pollutant loads entering Ballona Creek and Santa Monica Bay and to offset potable water used to refill the lake. Funding for the project will come from a $20 million Measure W allocation, along with Proposition K, and the Stormwater Pollution Abatement (SPA) Fund, according to city reports.
The final cost for the project has not been nailed down, and the project is expected to take roughly 30 months, according to the city’s latest estimates. The goal was to have the project complete before the Olympics, Kang said, but that timeline now appears unlikely, as work is anticipated to begin this summer.
Construction will take place in the southern section of MacArthur Park and along portions of 7th Street, Lake Street, Grand View Street and an adjacent alley. A pathway and access ramp along 7th Street will be temporarily removed and rebuilt to allow maintenance access. Plans also include a new pedestrian bridge along the southern edge of the park.