Julie Stromberg is no stranger to Harold A. Henry Park, located at 890 Lucerne Blvd., but she said it will be fun for the park to get a little more unfamiliar to her, with a groundbreaking set to reinvent the historic park for a new generation.

Councilman Tom LaBonge (center), 4th District, joined officials from the city’s recreation and parks department and community members for a groundbreaking ceremony at Harold Henry Park. (photo by Jonathan Van Dyke)

“I first put my son in a swing at Harold Henry Park,” said Stromberg, who is the chair of Friends of Harold Henry Park, noting she has spent countless hours with her family enjoying the amenities in the small neighborhood park.

“Wow, we are finally here after two years,” she added. “When reflecting upon this process, three words come to mind — cooperation, collaboration and compromise. All three were necessary for the success of this project.”

The park is located in an HPOZ (historic preservation overlay zone), and it required getting through some red tape to pave the way for improvements.

“The renovation of Harold Henry Park is an important endeavor in so many ways, but it was not without its challenges,” Stromberg said. “Windsor Village is a thoughtful community and we never lost sight of the noble purpose of this project — to create a park that is accessible to all individuals and will be enjoyed by generations of Angelenos.”

The Friends group began meeting with officials several years ago to inquire about making changes to the park.

“The key focus was to make the park ADA accessible, which means open to all,” said Craig Raines, landscape architect for the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks (RAP).

“It was two years ago right after redistricting that we first met with the community and said, ‘Let’s make some changes in the park, let’s bring it up and make it a little newer’,” said Ben Seinfeld, Wilshire area field deputy for Councilman Tom LaBonge, 4th District. “It took a while, the time was needed, and at the end we will have a very good product.”

The park will receive new equipment for its playground, including the installation of a new resilient surface that can cushion falls. There will also be renovations made to the community gathering and picnic areas.

“I know water is a huge component here, so we are coming through and replacing the plant material with California and regionally-friendly plant material, along with a smart irrigation system,” Raines said.

Officials said the Windsor Village neighbors really fought for the improvements.

LaBonge said he was inspired by the family stories from the neighborhood, noting this was a good example of local government.

“I remember being a child at 10th and Lucerne, and all the activity here,” he said. “[Government] can only serve as good as the constituency is at asking for us to try and deliver things.”