Los Angles Boys and Girls Club Receives Landscape Renovation From Marina Landscape, Inc.

By Stephen Guise

''Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club, the Positive Place for Kids.'' Photos courtesy of Stephen Guise

The Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club was in dire need of renovation and the City of Los Angeles, through a grant, allowed the club to renovate the property. To expedite the process and to continue the company's commitment to provide support and assistance to those community associations and schools in need, Marina Landscape, Inc. provided the labor and equipment pro-bono for portions of the scope of work, donated $50,000 to the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club to make up the shortfall in funding, and reduced the project cost by over $100,000.

The Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club offers a full athletic program including basketball, soccer, baseball, hockey, volleyball, swimming, and other sports. All sports include teams for boys and girls and for each age group, and all club members are encouraged to participate in the sports and recreation program. The project would include the renovation of the existing Boys & Girls Club's athletic field was very important to the owner, the City of Los Angeles, and the local underprivileged community. Through lengthy negotiations with the owner and the architect, Marina value-engineered the irrigation and plant materials with a commitment to complete this project according to the design intent.

Marina employees preparing for field renovation.

Conditions of the Site

During the course of construction, Marina encountered unsuitable site conditions, which required the removal of 300 tons of contaminated and wet material, and replacement with suitable material to provide a safe and performance-enhancing athletic field that if maintained properly, would perform for many future years.

Further challenges surfaced during the construction phase of the project, including additional permitting that was required from various agencies to complete the work. To get this done and not burden the club, Marina donated their time and effort, without any charge to the owner, to obtain and pay for all necessary permits. Throughout the course of construction, Marina offered their agronomic and design expertise and services to solve field issues in-house so that the owner would avoid incurring any additional consultant and architect fees.

Aerial views, before and after renovation.

Continuing Support

Choosing this charity to support was an easy decision for Marina Landscape as Marina is a professional sports field contractor. Marina continues to support athletic programs throughout Southern California and specifically landscape projects that provide safe playing fields for local communities.