Forest Lawn Donates Land for Youth Training Center

Junior Achievement of Southern California, a nonprofit educational organization, will build its $3.2-million headquarters and training center on undeveloped land donated by Forest Lawn.

The land, valued at $225,000, was donated to the youth organization by Forest Lawn following an agreement with the City of Los Angeles in which Forest Lawn gave the city 110 acres of unused property overlooking Burbank, with a 4.8-acre parcel set aside for Junior Achievement.

Contributions to finance the project currently total more than $2 million. Arco heads the list of 27 corporate, foundation and community contributors with a pledge of $1 million over the next four years. Lodwrick M. Cook, Arco chairman and chief executive officer, is honorary chairman of the capital campaign, and Donald A. Mullane, Bank of America vice president, is JA of Southern California chairman.

The new facility, to be known as the ARCO Center for Junior Achievement, will house JA’s regional administrative headquarters and serve as a training center for adult volunteer trainees.

Designed by Langdon Wilson Mumper Architects, the center will include training rooms, workshops, display galleries, a 130-seat theater and open areas for outdoor functions.

General contracting services will be headed by Ray Watt of Watt Enterprises while the building’s interior will be designed by John Walcott & Associates.