By Jay Jackson for Los Angeles SentinelOriginally published April 1, 2026
“They’re finally getting rid of all that ugly.”
That was Jacqueline Wallace Bates reaction after the ceremonial groundbreaking for the $40 million Slauson Connect Recreation and Education Center in South Central Los Angeles. It’s a 15,000 square foot community center and park on Slauson Avenue between Normandie Avenue and Budlong Avenue that city leaders say will transform the neighborhood Bates has lived in for 40 years…