Friendship Plaza Redesign
January 12, 2026
Thank you, Mr. Smoot. Good evening honorable Mayor and members of the City Council. I’m here tonight to present to you two design options for a re-imagined Friendship Plaza that will allow us to spend the City’s remaining CDBG-COVID funds by the deadline. 1 Background
May 27, 2025 Council approved Substantial Amendment for Friendship Plaza Redesign To encourage outdoor use and social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus
September 24, 2025 HUD approved the Substantial Amendment
$407,553 in CDBG-CV funds remain (expires in Nov. 2026)
Here with two design alternatives for Council direction
Real quickly, Council approved the substantial amendment designating these funds for Friendship Plaza in Spring of last year and HUD approved that amendment in the Fall.
The City has just over $400,000 in remaining CDBG-CV funds which need to be spent by November 2026.
Staff is here with two Friendship Plaza design alternatives for Council direction. The costs of these designs are estimated to be right in the ballpark of the remaining $400,000 in CDBG-CV funds.
2 Friendship Plaza Aerial
PIRATE PARK
Here is an overhead shot of the area from Bellflower Blvd. on the right to Pirate Park and the City parking lots on the left. 3 Friendship Plaza Aerial
PIRATE PARK
These areas were designed and constructed together in the same timeframe, around 20 years ago. Although both areas are in need of significant maintenance and a consistent and cohesive rehab would be the best case scenario, the timing and amount of funding being used restricts us to addressing Friendship Plaza only, identified by the green box, not Pirate Park or the transitional area between Friendship Plaza and Pirate Park. 4 Plan 2A – Event Lawn
Plan 2B – Pebble Pocket Park
Here is a look at the two design options side by side. Studio PAD Landscape Architects drew up these conceptual design alternatives after visiting the site and getting input from the departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works.
Plan 2A – Event Lawn is just that, an open area that can be used for general or programed events and activities. Plan 2B – Pebble Pocket Park provides more of a green-space seating area with built in large pebbles for seating. Both options were designed to encourage social distancing and have features to tie the area to Pirate Park such as the Shade Sail Canopies, which will help with the well-known heat effects experienced in the plaza, and wood-plank-look pavers. Other common features to both designs include:
Removal of water feature
The tree, planter, light standards, and wayfinding sign to remain Access to tree, and paving to accommodate vehicles for maintenance and decoration Decorative Pavers and Concrete
Seating to allow for social distancing in the form of raised seating walls Water bottle and dog bowl drinking fountain
Saving of donor plaques**
5 Conceptual Plan 2A
Event Lawn
6 Plan 2A – Event Lawn
Here is a closer look at the Event Lawn option along with some conceptual images showing examples of the fixtures and materials that could be used and incorporated into the design.
The base for this design is a long narrow event lawn just west of the tree lighting tree. A canopy sail shades a large portion of the event lawn and a raised concrete bench frames the lawn area just west of the tree.
Colored concrete flanks the north and south sides of the plaza with wood-plank-like pavers connecting the area around the tree and lawn to the colored concrete next to the buildings. 7 Conceptual Plan 2B
Pebble Pocket Park
8 Plan 2B –Pebble Pocket Park
Here are some additional conceptual images, some of which are more specific to Plan 2B shown here.
The base for this Pebble Pocket Park option is a slightly wider, but shorter lawn area that is adorned with large pebble seats, a portion of raised bench like seating and differently configured canopy shades. The pebbles add a cool looking, unique seating option to the area, but are typically fixed in those locations reducing the flexibility of the space.
It includes a north/south pass-through band of differently colored concrete to facilitate access around the rear of the tree.
This option, like the Event Lawn option, also includes wood-plank-like concrete pavers along the center of the plaza to help it tie into the Pirate/Sailing Ship theme. 9 Plan 2A – Event Lawn
Plan 2B – Pebble Pocket Park
With tonight’s direction from City Council, I’ll work with Studio PAD to incorporate any comments into a final design and then we’ll hand it over to Public Works for the preparation of the construction drawings and specifications for the bid process.
That concludes my presentation. Staff is available for questions and feedback. 10 11
Friendship Plaza Transition to Pirate Park
Donor Tile Displays
Shade Sails
Seating Options
12 13
14 Common to Both Designs
Removal of water feature
Tree and light standards to remain
Access to tree and paving to accommodate vehicles for maintenance and decoration Shade Structures
Decorative Paving
Seating to allow for social distancing
Water bottle and dog bowl drinking fountain
Saving of donor plaques
15