Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex brings vibrancy to underserved community
By Linda Mastaglio
The 24-acre Michelle and Barack Obama Sports Complex at Rancho Cienega Park fills an important need in South Los Angeles, providing quality public-recreation and fitness amenities for a population of approximately 100,000 people. The complex, which opened in June 2022, is a tribute to the former First Lady and President, who held his first Los Angeles-area campaign rally in the park. Before its connection to the 44th president, the park gained notoriety because tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams trained at the complex when they were children.
To enhance the facility, the city invested $50 million in new construction, building an Olympic-size, indoor pool with a bathhouse, an indoor gym featuring two basketball courts, a mezzanine walking track, a fitness annex, a multi-use community room, and staff offices.
“We have a state-of-the-art facility here. We have a responsibility to give our kids every opportunity that they deserve, and this facility will do just that,” said Herb Wesson, Los Angeles City Council Member-District 10, in a recent video tour of the facility.