Swap Proposed: Courthouse Site for Parker Center
Eric Richardson
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The site of a planned federal courthouse at 1st and Broadway has been a hole in the ground since an earthquake-damaged state office building was torn down in 2007.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It was eight years ago that officials first announced plans for a new federal courthouse to rise at 1st and Broadway, site of a state office building that was declared unsafe after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Thus far, all the project has created is paperwork and a hole in the ground. The state building was torn down in early 2007, but the courthouse project has failed to move forward as costs have soared and budgets have not.
Now the federal government is looking to officially abandon its ambitious plans for one structure that would consolidate courtrooms currently split between the 1936 U.S. Courthouse at Temple and Spring and the 1991 Edward R. Roybal Federal Building on Temple.
Officials have instead proposed swapping the roughly 3.5-acre parcel at 1st and Broadway with the site of Parker Center, LAPD's nearly-empty former headquarters. The move would allow a smaller courthouse to be constructed on the block adjacent to the Roybal building and operations to be more efficiently split between the two.
In a motion that will go before the City Council next Tuesday, Councilwoman Jan Perry said that the swap "might significantly benefit" the city as well. The larger site at 1st and Broadway is adjacent to the planned Grand Avenue Project and offers more options for potential development than the Parker Center site.
At a council committee meeting two weeks ago, a representative of the Chief Legislative Analyst's office said that a preliminary meeting with federal court officials had already been held to discuss next steps. The office promised a report in 30 days.
film rob on July 23, 2010, at 08:52AM – #1
i think they should move the x games over here next week for some moto fun!! This would be an awesome dirt bike park on the weekends.
Rich Alossi on July 23, 2010, at 08:58AM – #2
This makes too much sense. The current Federal Courthouse is relatively new -- surprisingly modern when I went to work there a couple times.
I do wonder how much of the Parker Center site would have to be cleared -- there's that new parking structure under construction at 1st/San Pedro, the newish 911 emergency operations center, and then the new jail facility. That leaves a small parcel for the state to build a courthouse on the footprint of the old Parker Center.
If this happens, I would love to see the current hole in the ground filled and a temporary park placed on it until development occurs.
Now, what's going to happen with the footprint of the old (old) state building in front of City Hall? What a shame.
DawnC on July 23, 2010, at 09:09AM – #3
Ha, when I first read this I thought it said "Swamp Proposed", judging from the picture it would be a natural progression. Probably pretty cheap too.
Tornadoes28 on July 23, 2010, at 09:37AM – #4
They should fill the hole completely with water and make a park with a lake in the middle. Grass, pathways, trees, benches, a small lake. Wouldn't that be nice?
Friskie Buffet on July 23, 2010, at 01:43PM – #5
1st and Broadway: what a great location for the world's tallest building!
off the street on July 23, 2010, at 02:38PM – #6
Why not just sell the hall of justice to the feds, figure its right in the middle of the two other court houses with the precondition that they restore it within a short time frame.
Guest on July 23, 2010, at 07:44PM – #7
With all the zillions of dollars the federal government is spending right now, and has been spending for quite awhile, I don't know why it can't dig up some bucks for LA's new federal courthouse. Or instead of now fussing over finding a totally new location, why not drop the previous gold-plated version of the proposed building and come up with something less expensive.
Brigham Yen on July 25, 2010, at 10:41AM – #8
IMO, I think the seismically damaged County Courthouse (managed by the state IIRC) and the Kenneth Hahn Admin Building should both be dismantled and consolidated into a new structure and open the park up to the edge/perimeter of the street where park goers have a 360 degree view including the Cathedral of the Lady of the Angels, Music Center, Disney Hall, Library Tower, the future Grand Ave Project, etc.
Expanding the park to the edge of the street, addressing the sidewalks, will provide access to more and have a much more "open feel," which I believe will make the park much more attractive.
Joel Covarrubias on July 26, 2010, at 01:10PM – #9
This is a great idea. The Feds have held up any possibility of development on that block for over a decade. And as for the Parker Center site, there was little use for that space anyway except for another government building.
I would love to see this integrated into the master plan for the Grand Avenue Project and Park, once the recession is over. Can you imagine all the possibilities for the area surrounding First/Hill?
Whitman Lam on July 26, 2010, at 01:24PM – #10
This move would save so many millions in Federal taxpayer money. And at the same time move forward in developing a long-time Downtown eyesore. I hope it is turned into a park, or maybe just part of it can be landscaping, and the rest housing or offices. A win-win situation.