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Meet the Spring Street Park

By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, September 10, 2010, at 01:02PM
Spring Street Park Lehrer Architects LA / Bureau of Engineering

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Got an idea for what to name Spring Street's forthcoming new park? That's one of the agenda items for a Monday town hall on the impending green space.

A final design for the L-shaped lot that sits between 4th and 5th was unveiled last month. It features an oval-shaped lawn and rectangular plaza, along with a water feature and connections between Spring and Harlem Alley.

The meeting will be hosted by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Parks, Recreation and Open Space committee, which helped organize community involvement in the park's planning.

The meeting will take place at The Exchange, 114 W. 5th, and will run from 6:30 to 8pm. Included is a presentation of ideas UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture students and a discussion of next steps and timeline for the park's opening.

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Rich Jesmer on September 10, 2010, at 01:58PM – #1

I'd be very happy with Spring Street Park. It's as descriptive as it needs to be, and no mistaking where it is.


Guest 1

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 03:16PM – #2

If it's named after a person, please make it a DEAD person. I am in favor of that policy citywide for public facilities. Please no politicians recently termed out, no developers who are still in the development business, no community activists still in the business of community activism. Unless he or she is dead!


Guest 2

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 04:16PM – #3

call it gilmore park ;)


Guest 3

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 05:13PM – #4

I second Spring Street Park!


Guest 4

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 05:49PM – #5

Until Gilmore is dead, don't name the park after him.


User_32

() on September 10, 2010, at 06:16PM – #6

Leslie Taplin Park


User_32

Sara Jones on September 10, 2010, at 09:10PM – #7

Good idea Bert!


Guest 5

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 10:37PM – #8

Taplin Park


Guest 6

Guest on September 10, 2010, at 11:50PM – #9

"Spring Street Park" - perfect


User_32

derblut on September 11, 2010, at 12:27AM – #10

I'm calling it Spring Street Park. Good luck making something else stick.


Brigham Yen on September 11, 2010, at 12:30AM – #11

I like "Spring Street Park" - Simple, accurately descriptive, even classic, perfect!


Guest 7

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 12:52AM – #12

My vote...Broadway Park on Spring Street


User_32

Roger Christensen on September 11, 2010, at 03:16AM – #13

Spring Street Park.....keep branding Spring Street as a specific destination/neighborhood.


Don Garza on September 11, 2010, at 05:41AM – #14

Leslie Taplin Park!!!! Someone who labored to bring all of downtown into the same rooms and talking and also mediated to get people to actually start listening to each other! Yes, Leslie Taplin and god rest her soul, she has passed on...but we will always love her . And we still miss her.


User_32

() on September 11, 2010, at 08:54AM – #15

Leslie Taplin Park sounds very good to me too! It can be the Leslie Taplin Spring Street Park.


Guest 8

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 10:00AM – #16

Spring Haven park


Guest 3

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 10:54AM – #17

What about El Parque de la Calle Primavera, Edward R. Roybal?


Guest 8

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 11:33AM – #18

SPRING HAVEN PARK


Guest 9

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 02:01PM – #19

Roybal already has a school and the Gold Line extension named after him. So pick someone else.


User_32

Russell Brown on September 11, 2010, at 02:38PM – #20

Another option could be to stay with some version of the Spring Street name, but also commemorate Leslie Taplin in the park.

Imagine if there was a signature huge tree that was a gathering space in the park. The shade it generated and the welcoming circle of seating and art that surrounded it could be dedicated to Leslie. This could symbolize her building of community and creating connections between different neighborhoods and diverse individuals.


User_32

Dixon on September 11, 2010, at 06:07PM – #21

Combine Spring and Harlem. How about Sparlem Park or Harping Park?


Guest 10

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 06:38PM – #22

Yeah, I second Russell Brown's idea...keep the park Spring Street Park (or some variation of Spring Street [something] Park) and commemorate Leslie Taplin inside the park. Make it a tree, or a sculpture, or whatever, but put up a plaque describing her good works.

I hope I remember to attend the meeting.


Guest 6

Guest on September 11, 2010, at 09:00PM – #23

^Russell Brown - good idea: "Spring Street Park" with a dedication inside if people want that. Keep it clean and simple.


Guest 11

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 12:07AM – #24

Pershing Park II and plant a tree inside for Julie Rico


Guest 12

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 02:33AM – #25

Leslie's Green, on Spring.


Guest 13

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 08:54AM – #26

How about Chaplin Park? Charlie chaplin was a regular at the El Dorado


Guest 5

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 02:14PM – #27

What happens when there are two or three parks on Spring Street?

Wouldn't "Spring Street Park" then cause confusion?


User_32

Russell Brown on September 12, 2010, at 04:46PM – #28

Someone is definitely on meds if they think there will be so many parks on Spring Street that it would be confusing.

But if you can make it happen, Bravo. There are many areas that need parks and that magic formula is needed for a few other parks especially a dog park (or 3).


Guest 14

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 08:10PM – #29

Ok now I like that Chaplin Park idea. Bring the sculpture from the Bradbury.


Guest 5

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 09:50PM – #30

There are at least 15 parking lots on Spring Street that could be converted into pocket parks in the years to come and no limit to what can get done when egos aren't interfering to claim credit for their own agendas.


User_32

() on September 12, 2010, at 10:49PM – #31

Hey Eric, when are you going to require all commenters to register using real names and stop allowing these idiotic guest comments? I really look forward to a better quality dialogue.


Guest 15

Guest on September 12, 2010, at 11:34PM – #32

John C. Fremont Park


User_32

Jim Shafer on September 12, 2010, at 11:55PM – #33

I'd like to propose naming the park for 2 dead guys who had a huge impact on the look of what we call the Historic Core today, the architects John and Donald Parkinson. To the north and south of the site they designed the Continental Bldg. and the Rowan Bldg., across the street the Title Ins. and Trust Bldg. and Crocker Bank (Citizen's National Bank Bldg.), and close by the Alexandria Hotel, the Security Bldg. (SE corner 5th/Spring), the Rosslyn Hotel, the Rosslyn Hotel Annex (across 5th St.), the Homer Laughlin Bldg. (Grand Central Market), the old Broadway Dept. Store Bldg. (4th and Broadway)...basically almost half the buildings in the immediate area. If that weren't enough they also designed the Coliseum, City Hall, and Union Station. Besides, I don't think there's a single park in LA named after an architect. So let's call it Parkinson Park, or if that's too much of a tongue twister, then Parkinson Greens, etc.


Don Garza on September 13, 2010, at 01:08AM – #34

Why are everything named after Dead "guys". Dead white guys..

And yes , I agree , all those posters who are anonymous and have no sense of what they are talking about... what can be done..?


User_32

Sara Jones on September 13, 2010, at 02:07PM – #35

There are a lot of good ideas for names for this park. What about having a community vote or a contest of some sort for the naming of the park. After a name is chosen maybe we can talk about memorial trees and public art to commemorate the wonderful people who helped build this community that are no longer with us.


Guest 16

Guest on September 13, 2010, at 07:08PM – #36

Geez, Bert Green and Don Garza, what do you find so objectionable on this article from the guest users? Read the posts over, and the worst you'll find are a couple week stabs at humor. I didn't see a breakdown in the social order or anything of the sort.

Signed...Guest.


Guest 16

Guest on September 13, 2010, at 07:08PM – #37

  • "weak" stabs at humor. (Sorry!)

Guest 17

Guest on September 14, 2010, at 07:41PM – #38

So what happened at the meeting? Or is that a follow-up story coming up?


User_32

Sara Jones on September 14, 2010, at 09:51PM – #39

Guest 38, I don't think there will be a follow up story to this particular meeting as I didn't see anyone from blogdowntown.

The final design of the park was presented by the architect. He explained all of the design eliments of the park including what types plants will be present and walkways. Concerns relating to park security, park hours and the always present issue of dogs were also discussed. We also brought up sugestions for the name of the park, but since the park won't be open for another year we do have time to work on it.

Also, if you aren't doing anything for PARKing Day LA on Friday the 17th, a lot of us from the PROS Committee will be infront of the park site. We can answer any questions.


Guest 18

Guest on September 14, 2010, at 11:56PM – #40

Cool. I love learning about plants and stuff like that. I prefer drought tolerant plants, as long as they're not the desert types. More Mediterranean than Phoenix/Vegas, please.

And I really am excited about getting some nice contemporary sculptures, and not the plop art just ordered from a catalog. I like some thought put into them to make them a good fit for the history and design of the site. It would be nice to see the Charlie Chaplin bench moved over from the Bradbury Building (or Roosevelt Hotel).

Oh, I also like stinky plants like society garlic. Scares away the stinky dogs.


Guest 5

Guest on September 15, 2010, at 09:17PM – #41

Actually, it should be called Quimby Park!

And for all the Quimby fees paid in Downtown, every parking lot on Spring Street should be a municipal park by now.


User_32

Alonso on September 16, 2010, at 10:24AM – #42

The Spring Green!



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