Public Input Asked for Broadway Arts Center
Eric Richardson
[Flickr]
The "Broadway Arts Center" would offer affordable artists' housing, performance and exhibition space, an educational facility and support for the street's historic theatres.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — When the NEA awarded a $100,000 planning grant to the team behind the Broadway Arts Center this summer, the project was described in some ambitious terms: a mixed-use center for the arts offering affordable artists’ housing, incubator performance / exhibition space, ground floor retail spaces, creative office space, an educational facility, and support for existing historic theatres.
That's a lot of ideas to turn into one solid concept, and this Monday the Downtown community is invited to give their input on just what the Arts Center should contain. A public planning workshop that will be held from 6 - 8pm at the Los Angeles Theatre (615 S. Broadway) will feature opening remarks from some of the groups participating in the project, after which attendees will share their thoughts at stations set up in the lobby.
While the project might still be a long ways from getting built, it does have an impressive cast of partners. Listed on the workshop invitation are the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, The Actor's Fund, Artspace, Bringing Back Broadway, CRA/LA, Cal-Arts, and the Los Angeles Department of City Planning Urban Design Studio.
Matt Baker on February 03, 2011, at 01:05AM – #1
Call me cynical, but these things never seem to do what they're supposed to do. Real artists who need the cheap rent never seem to get in, always the hipster's with daddy's money who know how to fill out the paperwork.
If one of these concepts actually did what they said I'd be pleased, but I've yet to see it.
Jessica Wethington McLean on February 03, 2011, at 09:03AM – #2
Matt - Actor's Fund and Artspace (both partners in this effort) have a good track record of creating the type of facility that really does provide for artists - that's their mandate.
In fact, as we gather input on Monday evening, one of the questions being asked of the public is "How should “artist” be defined for this housing? Should housing be protected for bona fide artists, not just folks who like a creative environment? If so, how?"
Lots of good, thoughtful questions are being asked on a whole range of topics as the concept for this facility is developed, so we hope you'll come on over and put in your two cents. It should be an interesting event, and we hope very productive for bringing discussion just like yours to the forefront. Thanks!
Cody Whitman on February 03, 2011, at 11:38AM – #3
Yeah you are cynical. You don't need to be a hipster or have daddy's money to know how to fill out a form.
KJ1 on February 03, 2011, at 01:10PM – #4
I have high hopes for this. We (The DT community and even greater LA) seem to have reached a tipping point concerning Broadway. All the decades of hopes and backburner ideas now are having their time in the sun as so many new people have moved in to the area filling it with excitement and creativity that has long been dormant.
Tony Hoover on February 03, 2011, at 04:33PM – #5
New York has been doing this for years very successfully.
About 5 years ago I proposed this to the Cultural Affairs Department and the entity previous to Bringing Back Broadway.
I explained that in order for Broadway to prosper as a real theatre district a crutial step would be to consolidate all the performer (actor, dancer, vocal) services to one area of the city - Downtown. The services might include modeling agencies, casting agencies, photographers, acting schools, workshop providers, rehearsal rental facilities, housing, repertory theatre companies, etc. Currently, these services are spead across a very large geographic area across the city between the valley and Hollywood.
If Bringing Back Broadway would try and create incentives to lure these service providers to a "downtown campus" an economic engine would begin to develop that could begin to fuel regional theatre.
I know that one major complaint of persons studying acting in Los Angeles is the difficulty in finding adequate and affordable housing near school and work. Oddly, no one has yet to solve this problem by creating a campus. Emerson (from Boston) is building a satellite college campus in Hollywood on Sunset Blvd (designed by Thom Mayne) which will be a step in this direction for Hollywood.
Worldwide Plaza in New York at 50th and 8th Avenue is one of the largest developments in Manhattan that was specifically built to accommodate large numbers of actors (and fine artists). The massize Manhattan Plaza Apartments at 400 W. 43rd Street was also built to do just this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Plaza
So there are lots of examples of this out there...and not just in New York either. They have them in Portland, Chicago, Boston...virtually every major city that has a performing arts community has something like this.
Joel Covarrubias on February 03, 2011, at 09:39PM – #6
Project planners might need to consider developing a brand new building on Broadway, rather than trying to reuse an existing building, with all the potential obstacles that can bring. I'm not sure if that's feasible though, given how difficult it is nowadays to get financing for new construction.
At any rate, I hope this can succeed. L.A.'s Broadway is wonderful, and I feel like it has finally reached a tipping point in terms of revitalization.
Jessica Wethington McLean on February 03, 2011, at 09:42PM – #7
Tony - excellent points and good ideas! I'm with Bringing Back Broadway / Councilmember Huizar's office. Hope you'll be there Monday to share your input and hopefully get involved!
Christopher Eaton on February 05, 2011, at 12:08PM – #8
I'm behind Tony's concept big time. I'm sure that there is room for lots of ideas about the center under the conceptual umbrella. What an exciting time for Broadway, for DTLA, and for the arts community in L.A.! Gonna try to make it for a little while on Mon.
Flux Branding on February 07, 2011, at 02:16PM – #9
It's exciting see money go towards community revitalization. The Community Redevelopment Agency gave engineering and environmental company AECOM $1 million to conduct an 18-month study to help revitalize the LA Fashion District.
With Broadway and the Fashion District on its way back, there's even more reason to invest and live in Downtown LA.
Anthony Jones on February 11, 2011, at 11:17PM – #10
No offense, but government and agencies slow this stuff down. I really appreciate the effort but this stuff isn't that hard. The buildings are fine just need a bit of touch up. If you have a building, separate it into 375 square feet studios with a bathroom. No gas, all electric. You can put a tiny electric range, toaster/convection oven, micro n sink w/shelves in a corner. No matter how big the building keep dividing it up 375+bath til it's done. Put out an ad saying you got affordable housing for a co-op for artists and musicians, art students; require each resident to have 2 "shows" per year, contribute to monthly building events in a performance space, , and be done with it. That culmination of people builds a culture and a scene, do that with the building next door and this time allow writers, and entertainment. Soon the free market will compete with you and buildings will pop up all over broadway. All you need govt to do is get out the way and help with building codes, permits, and taxes. Do it fast and clean and its easy as that. Thats my take.