Torrance council approves schematic design for World War II incarceration memorial, seeks $5 million more from state

The Torrance City Council unanimously approved staff recommendations to advance schematic design for a World War II incarceration monument at Columbia Park and to seek additional funding to cover an estimated $9.99 million cost.

The council vote formalized direction staff requested: include the project on the city's 2025 state legislative advocacy list to request an additional $4,990,000 in Sacramento, seek an extension of the existing state grant performance period to Dec. 31, 2026, explore alternative funding (federal, state, regional grants, public–private partnerships or the city’s FY 2025–26 budget), and proceed with preparation of construction plans and specifications for state review.

Why it matters: The project, funded initially by a $5,000,000 appropriation secured in 2021, is intended to memorialize more than 54,000 people of Japanese ancestry who were incarcerated during World War II and to educate the public. Staff and the project architect said the updated schematic design and verification work for names increased the full implementation estimate to about $9,990,000, creating a roughly $4.99 million shortfall compared with the state's appropriation.

City staff and the design team described the schematic: a sequence of polished black-granite walls and paved timelines and quotes across a roughly 65-by-500-foot monument area, a planted buffer of roughly 54 trees, and a hilltop reflection plaza. Architect Tina Chi of ChiSalette said the design calls for about 370 panels (4-by-9-foot each) whose double-sided total length would equal about 740 feet of engraved wall; typography and vertical name arrangement were chosen to reflect Japanese cultural practice and legibility. Chi said walls would use polished black granite, with matte panels for interpretive displays.

Community members and advisory committee members told the council that the monument is a long‑sought memorial. Speakers at the meeting included survivors, family members who expect names on the wall, and members of the advisory group. The council and advisory committee said they relied on a verified names dataset being prepared by Dr. Duncan Williams and the IDE Project; advisory-committee members and other public speakers pressed for a future mechanism to add verified names from other internment and detention situations (including, they said, some Italian, German, and Latin‑American detainees) if historically verifiable lists become available.

Council members and staff discussed tradeoffs: Crystal Covarrubias, senior business manager for Community Services, and John LaRocque explained state grant rules require submittal of construction documents for the state to disburse the original funds; staff therefore wants to finish design development and submit for the state's review while simultaneously seeking the additional appropriation and a performance‑period extension. Danny Santana in the city manager’s office said the city could consider advancing funds in the next budget cycle while pursuing reimbursement or supplemental state funds.

Cost and schedule details given to council: staff said the updated project estimate is $9,990,000; staff requested council direction to seek the additional $4,990,000 from the state. In staff presentations, Chi noted a conservative schedule for design development, plan check and construction: roughly four to six weeks for design-development documents, plan review and permitting, and about 12 weeks for construction once permits were issued. Staff also noted contingency and potential unforeseen site conditions could affect cost and schedule. Crystal Covarrubias said staff will attempt to minimize padding but kept the schedule conservative to avoid overpromising.

Council direction and next steps: Council unanimously directed staff to proceed with the five items in the staff report, including legislative advocacy for additional state funding and a grant extension, to explore alternative funding strategies, to proceed with construction documents required by the state grant, and to allow for future additions of verified names if such datasets become available. Council members emphasized the city’s support for completing the monument and asked staff and the advisory committee to pursue fundraising, philanthropic and other outside funding sources in parallel with the Sacramento advocacy trip.

Community reaction and follow-up: Several speakers representing the Tuna Canyon Detention Station Coalition, the World War II Camp Wall advisory committee, the IDE Project and other community groups addressed scope and accuracy of name lists. Advisory committee members said Dr. Williams’ list covers persons of Japanese ancestry and related families (including Japanese Peruvians); they and other speakers said more research would be needed to compile comprehensively verified lists for other nationalities. Multiple speakers urged the council and committee to preserve a mechanism for later additions. The council’s motion also included direction that the design accommodate future growth to add verified names, and staff agreed to explore how to reserve space and allow future additions without undoing core grant conditions.

No council member opposed the motion. The motion carried unanimously.