Solis Celebrates Opening of New Community Park, Breaks Ground on 202 Affordable Homes at Former MacLaren Children’s Center
Project marks a new chapter for the El Monte site, bringing new opportunities for families, seniors and the broader community
Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis stands alongside City of El Monte, County officials, and project partners at the Hilda L. Solis Community Park, next to Esperanza Village. (Photo by Martin Zamora)
EL MONTE, Calif. — Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis today joined the City of El Monte, National CORE, Prima Development, County department leaders, development and financing partners, and community members to celebrate the opening of Hilda L. Solis Community Park and break ground on Esperanza Village, marking a new chapter for a 13.7-acre site in the heart of El Monte.
From the 1960s until its closure in 2003, the former MacLaren Children’s Center operated on this site as a Los Angeles County facility for children in foster care awaiting placement. While the center was part of the El Monte community for generations, it also left behind a painful legacy, including concerns about the care and treatment of some children who lived there. After the facility closed, the property remained largely unused for more than two decades.
In 2019, Board Chair Solis and the City of El Monte began working with community members to reimagine the site and create a new future shaped by the community’s needs and priorities. In 2025, the City of El Monte named the new park Hilda L. Solis Community Park in recognition of Board Chair Solis’ leadership and commitment to El Monte.
“This site has a history that we cannot forget, but we also cannot let that history define what comes next,” said Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “Together with the City and community members, we imagined a different future for this property: a place where children can play and families can find a safe and affordable place to call home. Today, we are making that vision a reality.”
Located on 5.6 acres, Hilda L. Solis Community Park transforms part of the former MacLaren site into a green space for recreational, educational, cultural and community activities. The park features a regulation-size soccer field, basketball and tennis courts, a fitness area, walking paths, restrooms, picnic areas, children’s play areas with a water feature, and an outdoor classroom and performance space. It also includes ecological and sustainability education features, a shade structure, enhanced security and field lighting.
“The transformation of the historic MacLaren Hall site preserves space for community, acknowledges the complex history of this property, and creates a more hopeful future,” said Alma Martinez, City Manager for the City of El Monte. “We are deeply grateful to Supervisor Solis for her vision and leadership in turning this site into a positive, healing and inclusive community space.”
Adjacent to the park, Esperanza Village will provide 202 affordable homes for families and seniors. Developed by National CORE and Prima Development, the community will include 102 apartments for families and 100 apartments for seniors ages 62 and older, serving households earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income.
The development will include 154 supportive housing units for individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness and survivors of domestic violence. The family building also will provide supportive housing for transitional-age youth. Residents will have access to community rooms, courtyards, lounges, bicycle storage and services designed to promote long-term stability and well-being.
“We’re very proud to be partnering with Supervisor Solis, the City of El Monte and Prima Development on such an impactful new community,” said Alexa Washburn, National CORE’s Chief Development Officer. “Affordable housing is about much more than a place to live. It’s about access to health care, childcare, supportive services, and opportunities that help families thrive. That is exactly what Esperanza Village will bring to the city.”
“Supervisor Solis has been a steadfast champion for this project and for the El Monte community,” said Fernando Vasquez, President of Prima Development. “Her leadership helped turn a long-standing vision for this site into a real investment in the future of El Monte. We are grateful for her commitment and look forward to seeing Esperanza Village become a place where families and seniors can build their futures.”
Prima Development also will construct a comprehensive health center serving Esperanza Village residents and the surrounding El Monte community. The facility will include a community clinic, senior care center and pharmacy, as well as dedicated space for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.
“I commend everyone involved in this project for creating a renewed space that will support ongoing healing,” said Lisa E. Mandel, Interim Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services. “While we should never forget the painful past of this site, the effort to create a positive path forward that includes housing stability for diverse people in the region, including youth exiting foster care, young families and seniors, reflects a powerful commitment to the future. It’s obvious that this community was designed with the well-being of its residents in mind and I’m thrilled to know that community members will be immersed in an environment rich with recreational, educational and cultural opportunities.”
The project reflects years of work by Board Chair Solis and community partners to create a new future for the site.
“Seeing this site become a park where children can play and families can gather, alongside new affordable homes and a health center, is a powerful reflection of what is possible when a community comes together,” added Board Chair Solis. “This is about more than transforming a property. It is about investing in El Monte and making sure families, seniors and young people have the opportunity to build a future here.”
The housing at Esperanza Village is expected to be completed in 2028.
