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After a bit of a tease in March about a pending re-opening, today comes the official announcement that Echo Park Lake will finally be available again to the public on June 15.
In a press conference held this morning, L.A. City Councilman and mayoral candidate Eric Garcetti was joined by Councilmembers Jan Perry and Ed Reyes to reveal the official re-opening date of the 13-acre lake and 16-acre park.
"The restoration of Echo Park and Lake is an exclamation point on our work to build stronger neighborhoods through parks. Together with the community, we've tripled the number of parks from 16 to 47, building 31 new parks in the district with the least land," Garcetti said in a release.
The park, which dates back to the 1860s, was closed in 2011 for a major rehab project funded by Prop O, which was approved by voters in 2004.
Locals have seen changes already implemented in the iconic park. The Lady of the Lake statue was put back in earlier this year, and she's in her original spot, back where she first was after she was commissioned in 1934. Alas, this year we won't see the lotus flowers bloom, but they should be back in full color next spring. Because there's new sod in the park, the facility will hold off on hosting any festivals, like the Lotus Festival, for another year.
There's also a new pavement perimeter around the lake and a return of the catch and release fishing program. Plans to reinstate the boathouse, as well as to keep the bridge and island open are in the works.
