Fight Continues Over 5th & Flower Station for Regional Connector
Metro
This station at 5th and Flower was dropped from the Regional Connector in October, but Financial District stakeholders want to see it added back in for study.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The Metro Board of Directors may have formally removed a 5th and Flower station from the proposed Regional Connector just over a month ago, but that hasn't stopped a group of Financial District stakeholders from pushing the station's continued study.
The project approved by the transit agency's board in late October would create an entirely underground link between the Blue Line's current terminus at 7th and Metro and the Gold Line's tracks at 1st and Alameda, adding stations at 2nd/Hope and 2nd/Broadway and replacing the existing Little Tokyo / Arts District Gold Line station with one that is underground.
It would not, however, add a station at 5th and Flower, a station site that had been included throughout the project planning process. It was only with the release of the staff recommendations for the board that the station was removed. Rising costs were cited as the culprit, with the station's roughly $180 million price tag the easiest way to trim the budget.
At the October meeting, the board voted to continue study of the station only if the private sector contributed the $2 million needed to complete the environmental process.
On Monday morning, property owners, elected officials and Metro staff sat down in a meeting organized by the Central City Association.
Those representing the Financial District made the case that the removal leaves too few stations in the region's densest employment hub, and that the neighborhood was being treated unfairly by being asked to pay for the station study when Metro did not make the same demand of other neighborhoods.
"I don't think they were satisfied," said Councilwoman Jan Perry, a supporter of the station who participated in Monday's meeting. "I think they will contemplate further action."
That could potentially end in a lawsuit against the transit agency. "I think that's probably accurate," said Perry when asked whether legal action was being considered.
For now, though, the focus is on more political solutions. Phil Recht, chair of the Central City Association, will be speaking at Metro's Thursday board meeting, and supporters have been petitioning the Mayor's office to get his support for the study.
That support is considered critical. The Mayor's appointees on the Metro board all abstained in the October vote, which failed 4-3-3.
Chris Loos on December 08, 2010, at 11:46AM – #1
Instead of spending money on lawyers and hindering the process, how about they just pay for the environmental study?
LAofAnaheim on December 08, 2010, at 12:06PM – #2
How about just expanding 7th street/Metro center and adding a portal at 6th/Flower? Make 7th street/Metro Center a super station with underground retail. It would be our 2nd Union Station (and probably heavier used than the 1st Union Station).
Thomas K Nagano on December 08, 2010, at 12:17PM – #3
People in Downtown Los Angeles don't walk enough. Walking is the best exercise.
As I understand the cross town Regional Connector will be deep underground. Financial District stakeholders just want want to walk underground and save on stair step exercise machines. - TK
Guest on December 08, 2010, at 02:29PM – #4
They are their own lawyers. No skin off their back.
Chris Loos on December 08, 2010, at 02:37PM – #5
No skin off their backs, but certainly skin off the rest our backs as we wait longer for the Regional Connector after the inevitable delay from the lawsuit.
Guest on December 08, 2010, at 02:53PM – #6
Sorry, but 2Mil is chump change for the players in that hood. They should just pool some cash and pay the $185mil for the station. They could auction off naming rights every decade...
Friskie Buffet on December 08, 2010, at 04:31PM – #7
Isn't there a very similar fight going on in New York City over a station on a subway extension that was canceled to save money and the property owners are trying to save it?
Guest on December 08, 2010, at 08:30PM – #8
If Financial Dist. players won't pony up for a study for a Regional Connector station, do you really think Broadway property owners will pitch in for a streetcar line?
DawnC on December 13, 2010, at 10:39AM – #9
Yes, people need to walk but they need to get out of their cars even more. We need as many subway stops as possible in order to accomplish that. The only way to get people out of their cars is to make public transit even more convenient.
Jerard Wright on December 15, 2010, at 03:14PM – #10
Dawn,
What is needed is as many lines built in the transit network as cost-effectively as possible, adding this station compared to more cost-effective considerations such as having extra portals from the remaining 7th Street/Metro Center (one at 6th/Flower) and Bunker Hill Stations(on eat 3rd/Flower) so that these same patrons can still access the remaining stops and serve the stations that are there couple this with better urban streetscape along Flower Street will be of the same benefit at a far lower cost than having this one station.