Arts and a Park

By Eric Richardson
Published: Wednesday, January 19, 2005, at 09:27AM

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — We had an Arts Committee meeting last night. I got my meeting times confused, so I ended up there at 6:30 when the meeting really wasn't until 7. My meetings need to all have a standard time so that I don't get confused. Agenda items were fairly uneventful; a lot was updates on progress. Several members of the public came to address us, presenting the concept of an LA Civic Park on the site where the City is trying to put the new LAPD headquarters.

The meeting procedings themselves were pretty straight-forward. We've been a committee that likes to get bogged down in a few key issues lately, but I felt like yesterday we did a pretty good job of sticking to the agenda and getting through everything.

The people presenting the Civic Park idea made a good case -- who wants to argue against a park? On their website they present the case for why the arts community needs the park. The location is the end of Gallery Row, and the motor pool would require the demolition of the building currently housing the MJ Higgins. The pool's construction could also lead to the elimination of much of the public parking in that area.

If you're reading this today, and you're interested in getting involved, the headquarters is on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting of the Cultural Affairs Commission. Otherwise, you might want to go to the LA Civic Park site to sign their petition and give them your information so that they can get in touch with you for future events.

Comments

Linda M. writes:

A park on the block where Caltrans' old building is located probably would soon become a hangout for the homeless, meaning it would quickly become a space difficult for the immediate neighborhood to deal with, a la Pershing Square. At best, "Civic Park" likely would end up not much less lifeless than that open space where the old State building once sat, directly north of the LA Times.

# on Jan.19.2005 AT 01:59 PM

e; writes:

That's a very good point, Linda, and one my friend Don Garza likes to keep making. You can't restrain access without the ACLU getting involved (and rightly so). We do need to figure out how to bring a little nightlife into the "government ghetto" (as I heard it called recently).

Personally I don't know where I stand on the headquarters issue. One the one hand I think a well-designed structure that incorporates public space into the site plan could be a very cool thing. On the other hand, though, I think parts of the plan -- especially the motorpool -- aren't going to be very good for the neighborhood.

# on Jan.19.2005 AT 05:12 PM

DOn Garza writes:

Eric I agree with you the motorpool thing really has me really riled. I mean when I thought all they were gonna do was build the parkers center in that space where the old cal trans building is and then I heard they were gonna put that motot pool where the old kjell gallery was , It kind of riles me up.

We have a police bastion where I live .

AS much as I hate being a nimby. I have thought why not build parker center in the heart of skid row. Maybe if the police cheif and their adminsitrators had to work where I live . maybe the place could get cleaned up a little bit .

Like I have been saying . An open space there will and would not be able to be restricted , because it would be public space and I gurantee you , all those people they keep complaining about for fear for their kids would have to share the same open space , the aclu loves to target governement controlling open space.

# on Jan.20.2005 AT 12:28 AM

Linda M. writes:

I know some of the residents of the Higgins have raised a ruckus about the LAPD headquarters going in across from their building, and I hope they'll have enough sense to also start making as much commotion over the ugly parking lots and old bedraggled buildings that are in their immediate vicinity too.

# on Jan.21.2005 AT 04:10 PM

Arts and a Park

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