LA Rises philanthropy group launched by Gov. Newsom to accelerate fire rebuild
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new initiative to "rebuild and reimagine" Los Angeles areas devastated by recent fires with the help of Magic Johnson, 2028 Olympics Chairman Casey Wasserman and Dodgers Chairman Mark Walter to kick things off.
The philanthropic group named LA Rises rolled out Tuesday with $100 million in seed funding from Walter, the Mark Walter Family Foundation, and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. The initiative will continue to raise funds through private donations to supplement local and state resources for rebuilding in the fire zones where entire neighborhoods have been wiped out.
"With Mark, Earvin and Casey's proven leadership and deep commitment to Los Angeles, we'll tap into the enormous creativity, experience, and resources of the private sector, alongside local, state, and federal efforts, to deliver a recovery that benefits all Angelenos," Newsom said.
As city and county leaders craft recovery plans for their communities with the assistance of state and federal resources and the removal of red tape, tapping into additional private-sector funding will be key to rebuilding. Wasserman said, "It's not about the next month or the next year, this is about what LA will be like for the next 50 or 100 years."
Newsom described LA Rises as a creative, collaborative effort of bright minds. "It's about looking to seek the best and brightest designers, architects, and developers -- the best and most modern strategies for financing, and developing new procurement strategies to address the issue of cost, to address the issue of logistics in a completely fresh, dynamic and distinctive way," he said.
Johnson said his focus will be on Altadena, to make sure that community isn't overlooked. "This city always finds a way to come together. It's done that ... I want to make sure I've done my part, to bring healing to the city and to those who lost their home, or a loved one."
Similarly, Mayor Karen Bass recently announced her plans for rebuilding after the Palisades Fire, as she enlisted Steve Soboroff as chief recovery officer. His role is to coordinate the reconstruction of the community with the mayor's office and city agencies to get it done as soon as possible.
"He will recommend a comprehensive city strategy for rebuilding and for expediting. Expediting is a very important word here. We want to expedite the return of residents, businesses, schools, nonprofits and parks," Bass said.
LA Rises will also receive financial support from California Rises, a statewide recovery initiative founded by the governor and First Partner Siebel Newsom after the 2018 Camp Fire.