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| Project Information |
Project Restore continues its efforts towards the revitalization of
the Civic Center and Downtown Los Angeles. Following the successful
completion of its First Now! vision plan for First Street, from Bunker
Hill to Boyle Heights, Project Restore is now re-focusing on the historic
heart of the Civic Center. Working with the multi-disciplinary design
consortium of Suisman-Campbell-Rios, the Civic Crossroads project
centers on City Hall and the two north-south streets which bracket it:
Main and Spring. Starting at Fourth Street on the south and running up
to Cesar Chavez Boulevard on the north, Main and Spring are of vital
importance in connecting the Historic Core to the historic El Pueblo
district. And where they cross First Street and the new Civic Park from
Bunker Hill, a true Civic Crossroads stands ready to emerge.
Project Restore's goal is to identify key opportunities and projects which
relate to existing or planned development projects and initiatives. These
include the Grand Avenue project, with its 16-acre Civic Park running to
City Hall's front door; the new Police Headquarters and neighborhood
park; the proposed upgrading of the Los Angeles Mall; the restoration of
the Hall of Justice; and the new La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a county-wide
cultural center now under construction in historic buildings across from
the original Plaza of Los Angeles. Beyond these specific projects, broader
developments such as the extraordinary renaissance of downtown housing,and the City Planning Department's proposed streetscape standards for all of downtown set the
stage for a new phase in the life of the Civic Center. Coinciding with the tenth anniversary of
the Ten-Minute Diamond master plan for the Civic Center, the Civic Crossroads carries forward
and synthesizes all these activities into a new vision for the civic heart of the city.
CIVIC CROSSROADS SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
1. North Downtown: Reinforce and Link Distinct Districts
• Historic Core, Civic Center, EI Pueblo and Chinatown from South to North
• Bunker Hill, Civic Center, Little Tokyo and Union Station from West to East
• Create New Thresholds/Gateways at Second and Aliso Streets
2. Main Street and Spring Street: Strengthen Their Historically Separate Identities
• Upgrade Main Street as Historic Connector
• Strengthen North Spring Street as a Spine for New Development
• Develop Spring Street as the Primary Connection from Bunker Hill to Union Station
• Priority for Pedestrians and Transit
3. Civic Center: Create a Green District with a Vibrant Central Crossroads
• Compress the Civic Center: lO-Minute Diamond reduced to 5-Minute
• New Role for Civic Center as Green District between Neighborhoods
• Develop 21-Block Streetscape Plan
• City Hall No Longer Viable as Central Crossroads - District Needs to be Re-Centered
• Create a Civic Crossroads Joint Power Authority
• Design the Crossroads as Two Parks, Two Halls: Joint Placemaking by City and County
• New City Hall Entry (with Restaurant and Security) on Spring
• Incorporate Homeland Security Improvements and Funding
• New Design for Civic Square (currently City Hall Park)
4. El Pueblo: Revive a Living Neighborhood with Linked Public Spaces
• Support Revival of El Pueblo as a Mixed-Use, Living Neighborhood
• Create El Pueblo Joint Powers Authority
• Extend El Pueblo's Boundary South to Aliso Street, incorporating the Freeway Bridges
• Develop Gateway "Galerias" on Both Sidewalks of Main Street and Spring Street Bridges
• Support creation of La Plaza de Cultura and Pasaje de La Plaza
• Create Chinatown Gateway Park, Sonoratown Plaza, Zanja Madre Gardens
• Link to Chinatown and Integrate with Chavez Streetscape Plan
5. Historic Core: Incoporate New Downtown Street Standards
• Main and Spring improvements as part of larger district plan |