Ed Fuentes

No use has been identified for the 1952 Parker Center.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The city isn't sure what to do with Parker Center now that the Police Department has moved into its new home across from City Hall, but Councilman Greig Smith wants to wait a bit before any plans are made. This morning he asked the Bureau of Engineering whether it would be possible to delay environmental documents for the site, pushing the $1 million contract into the next fiscal year.

The 1952 structure is considered seismically unsafe and outdated, making any reuse a potentially expensive proposition. It is more likely that the building would be torn down, potentially with a new City building put up in its place.

Before any plans can be made, though, an Environmental Impact Report must be prepared. That work just began last week, but Smith hopes to see it halted. He asked the Bureau of Engineering to return to the committee in January. "See if there's a way to wiggle out of this, at least for the one year," he told them.

The LAPD's Scientific Investigation Division (SID) is still operating out of the building, and will do so until new office space is identified.

Next door to Parker Center, work is proceeding on the site that formerly housed the department's Motor Pool facility. In its place will be an underground public parking garage, funding for which is part of the police headquarters project.