Final Beam Placement Marks Significant Progress Toward Opening Transformational Youth Center
For Immediate Release:
February 23, 2026
Contact: Evan Owens, eowens@omc.com
LOS ANGELES, CA – Lulu’s Place celebrated a major construction milestone today marking the placement of the final beam atop the Welcome Center—one of the signature buildings on the organization’s state-of-the-art academic and athletic campus. This underscores the project’s continued momentum as Lulu’s Place prepares to serve more than 10,000 students each year through integrated academic enrichment, athletic, and wellness programming.
Since breaking ground in April 2025, construction has advanced significantly across the 34-acre campus. Today’s topping out represents a pivotal moment in transforming the legacy of Carol “Lulu” Kimmelman into a tangible, lasting resource for youth from under-resourced communities across Los Angeles.
“Watching my wife Carol’s dream come to life on this campus and seeing our family’s vision take shape has been extraordinary,” said Doug Kimmelman, founder and chairman of Lulu’s Place. “This campus will serve as a gateway to opportunity—a place where young people will discover new passions, build confidence, and begin their journeys towards a brighter future. We look forward to welcoming the community through these doors.”
The 13,000-square-foot Welcome Center will serve as the primary access point to the tennis facilities, welcoming students, families, and visitors to 24 premium tennis courts and eight multi-use courts. The $170 million, privately funded Lulu’s Place campus also includes a 25,000-square-foot TGR Learning Lab, three soccer fields, a multi-use athletic field, and comprehensive wellness services through on-campus clinics and athletic training programs.
The project has benefited from the expertise and dedication of an outstanding team of project partners, including DPR Construction, Lincoln Property Company, and RIOS, whose collaborative efforts have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life. By year-end 2025, the project had transitioned from early site preparation to vertical construction, with significant milestones achieved including 1,600 cubic yards of concrete poured for buildings, 580 tons of steel fabricated, and 130 trees planted across the campus.
“Today’s topping out marks an exciting milestone on this 34-acre campus and reflects the incredible coordination happening across the site. With the athletic facilities, educational spaces, and complex underground infrastructure advancing simultaneously, this project showcases the power of integrated planning and teamwork,” said Jon Fraker, Superintendent, DPR Construction. “We’re proud to help bring the Lulu’s Place vision to life through a campus that will serve thousands of young people for generations.”
“This project represents the very best of what can be accomplished when visionary leadership meets expert execution,” said Rob Kane, Senior Executive Vice President, Southern California, Lincoln Property Company. “We’re honored to partner with Lulu’s Place and apply our development and construction expertise to delivering a campus that will transform lives for youth and families across Los Angeles.”
Sabina Cheng, Studio Director at RIOS, said: “The design of Lulu’s Place reflects a deep commitment to creating community spaces that welcome and inspire. From the moment young people and families enter Lulu’s Place, they will be met with thoughtfully designed spaces with state-of-the-art facilities. We’re proud to have collaborated with such a purposeful team to create a campus that honors Carol’s legacy.”
Lulu’s Place will serve students from approximately 50 Title I schools within a 10-mile radius of the site, creating a national model for how access to education, resources, and support can unlock opportunity and empower young people to realize their full potential.
The topping out marks the latest chapter in Lulu’s Place’s growth journey, following the ceremonial groundbreaking held in May 2024. The organization remains on track to welcome students, athletes, and families in mid-2027.
About Lulu’s Place
Lulu’s Place will offer state-of-the-art facilities in Los Angeles, north of LAX airport between the communities of Westchester and Playa del Rey, that bring together academic, athletic, and wellness programs at little or no cost to under-resourced youth and families. Trusted partners, including TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods charity; the USTA and its charitable arm USTA Foundation; Winward Academy; Cedars-Sinai; and Providence will bring professional teachers, coaches, mentors, and service providers to deliver high-quality programs to children and their families.
The vision for this transformational project is rooted in the passion and generosity of Carol Kimmelman, a Southern California native, former public elementary school teacher and lifelong tennis player who passed away in 2017 after a courageous battle with ovarian cancer. Today, her husband, Doug Kimmelman, and their four children are honoring her legacy by advancing her mission to transform the lives of young people, creating greater equity in sports and education through this groundbreaking youth center.
For more information, visit www.lulusplace.org or connect on Facebook and Instagram.
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