Blumenfield Cuts Ribbon at Costanso Fire Station 84 Park
New Woodland Hills park the result of extensive community outreach effort.
EDS: Photo attached
WOODLAND HILLS, CA – Councilmember Bob Blumenfield today was joined by representatives from the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the United Fire Fighters of Los Angeles and a host of neighbors and community members to cut the ribbon at the new Costanso Fire Station 84 Park in Woodland Hills.
Fire Station 84 operated at the corner of Canoga Ave. and Costanso St. from 1949 until being relocated to a new location in Warner Center in 2007. The vacant fire station remained unused and became blighted, overgrown with weeds and a place where illicit activity occurred. ln 2013, Blumenfield, newly elected to the Los Angeles City Council, undertook a massive community outreach effort to determine the future use of the site, and began working feverishly to transform the area.
“Today, I’m proudly checking this park opening off my list of first term priorities,” said Blumenfield. “The neighborhood around the old Fire Station 84 is one of the oldest and most beautiful in the Valley, but after years of neglect, the property had fallen into disrepair. After two years of hard work and community input, we have transformed what was a blighted piece of land into an incredible neighborhood resource.”
“Old Fire Station 84 served the City of Los Angeles for nearly 50 years, and it is the Department of Recreation and Parks’ honor to be able to carry on its legacy with Costanso Fire Station 84 Park,” said Michael A. Shull, General Manager of the Department of Recreation and Parks. “Its creation involved a lot of input and help from the surrounding community, and we can’t wait for them to enjoy this great park for many years to come.”
“I’m thrilled to see that the site of former Fire Station 84 will continue to be of service to the community,” said Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Ralph M. Terrazas. “The LAFD is an integral part of our City and as we continue to provide the highest level of service, we are also proud that our leaders and the community are vested in the history and traditions that make Los Angeles great. My thanks to Councilmember Bob Blumenfield and the entire community for their vision and commitment to this project.”
Through neighborhood canvassing, mailed surveys, and tabling at local businesses, over 500 responses were collected with an overwhelming consensus in favor of an open space use for the park. Blumenfield worked to ensure the community was engaged in every stage of the park’s construction, holding a community design meeting to inform Recreation and Parks of the community’s vision for the park, and even a contest to name the park. The final design honors the site’s former use as a fire station, while reflecting the community’s vision of a neighborhood park.