In 1993, Snoop Lion's bodyguard McKinley Lee, with Snoop at his side, shot and killed gang member Philip Woldemariam in Palms's Woodbine Park. Snoop and Lee were both charged with murder and eventually acquitted, and in the course of the trial the park became nationally famous. (An article in the LA Times provides a little time warp: "[Snoop's] pinstriped suit made him appear more like a businessman than a 'gangsta' rapper.") The park, which is only about an acre, was remodeled not long after the shooting, but now--with Palms a much different, more family-friendly neighborhood--it's set to be "completely rebuilt." As of today the park is closed for construction that'll add:
-- A resurfaced "and hopefully more level" basketball court with new poles, backboards, hoops, fence, and LED lighting
-- New, brighter LED lights throughout
-- New playground with slides, bridges, and canopies on a rubber surface
-- An amphitheater
-- New walkways
-- Those solar-powered trash compactor trashcans
-- Native plants and a native plant demonstration area
The park is set to reopen in January 2014.
· Woodbine Park Modernization [PNC]
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