CIVIC PARK MEETING HELD
May 2, 2008
A public outreach meeting was held on April 22, 2008 at 6:00 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Civic Park, an approximately 16-acre site at the heart of downtown Los Angeles' civic and cultural center, will remake an existing public space into a spectacular community gathering place that provides an iconic centerpiece for Downtown Los Angeles. The Civic Park Master Plan strategy and design have been carefully cultivated by extensive outreach and dialogue with public stakeholders, elected officials and cultural partners. A place for all Angelenos, Civic Park will be a memorable destination for generations to come.
Designed by Rios Clementi Hale Studios at the direction of the Grand Avenue Authority, the Master Plan is conceived to offer the greatest public benefit in the shortest amount of time by using resources efficiently and providing for building in phases. Further, the initial base plan has been deliberately crafted to accommodate a potential enhanced plan with additional features when more funding is available.
The park's flexible design provides for the many facets of urban life, from passive to programmed, personal to public, picnics to parties. The Civic Park responds to its surrounding context, welcomes to diverse neighborhoods unique to L.A., and incorporates the latest technologies and sustainable techniques, while at the same time is sensitive to the site's rich history.
The park provides places for children and families, youth and school groups, couples and the elderly, downtown dwellers, daily commuters and cultural tourists from near and far. Its central location makes it easily accessible by local and regional mass transit and is convenient to existing cultural and civic places of interest in Downtown Los Angeles.
Park amenities will include improved pedestrian access, public restrooms, security lighting, electrical, data, event infrastructure, hardscape and landscape renovation, and multilingual directional signage.
Funding:
The $56 million Base Park budget is funded by the pre-paid ground rent paid by the Related Companies to the Grand Avenue Authority. The Enhanced Park will be implemented in phases as funding is secured by the Grand Avenue Authority from various sources including public funds, private donations and corporate sponsorships
Features and Design Strategy of the Base Park:
The existing 4-block site, bounded by Grand, Spring, Temple and First streets, is divided by three city streets and challenging topography - in some places 18 and 20 feet grade changes between blocks. To create a connected, unified and effortlessly navigated park, the Plan employs several key design strategies:
1.
Tie it Together: Sun & Shade Gardens: A series of Sun Gardens connect the length of the northern boundary of the park, while the southern boundary is tied together with Shade Gardens, allowing diverse microclimates for all guests to enjoy.
2.
Increase Pedestrian Access: Vehicular ramps will be removed from the pedestrian realm, creating a more generous, universally accessible entry points to the park, offering a softer, greener street edge that is welcoming to park goers and passers-by.
3.
Soften Grade Changes: Using the site’s grade changes as an asset, the plan envisions generous amphitheater steps and planted terracing at Grand and at Broadway, providing integrated accessible pedestrian ramps and creating inhabitable vertical space that can serve as seating for events, dining al fresco or people watching.
4.
Sustainable Leader: The plan calls for the park to serve as a demonstration site for sustainability. The park will employ sustainable strategies such as preserving existing specimen trees, relocating other healthy trees, establishing a native plant palette and botanical garden, and providing an educational outreach program.
Key features of the Base Park include:
1.
Fountain Plaza: The popular, yet currently hidden, 60s-era Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain will be renovated to become a focal point of Civic Park. Remaining sensitive to the iconic fountain’s historic significance, the fountain will be rehabilitated and reenergized to create an interactive gathering place.
2.
Event Lawns & Market Place: Civic Park spaces are designed to provide an open framework allowing for diverse activities such as regular farmer’s markets and cultural festivals, gatherings for groups of 500 for small performances to larger assemblies of 20,000 or more for film and music festivals, yet also allowing for the quiet enjoyment of picnicking and reading.
3.
Public Art: The Base Park identifies several prominent locations for future installation of iconic works of publicly-engaging outdoor sculpture. The plan’s ambitious public art program also contemplates artist workshop programming and outreach, curated seasonal installations and signature
objet gardens.
Features of the Enhanced Park:
As additional funding is secured by the JPA, the park will be enhanced in a thoughtful, envisioned manner. Guided by the Master Plan, the enhancements may involve a competition for the design of additional architectural elements, such as the pavilion and bridge suggested in the master plan, and commissions for iconic works of art. Key features of the Enhanced Park include:
1.
Event Pavilion: At the center of the park, a new open-air event pavilion will be a draw for visitors at all times of the day and serve as a host to civic parties, cultural festivals, and sponsored events.
2.
Pedestrian Bridge: At Broadway, where the grade change is 20 feet, the Enhanced Plan calls for a pedestrian bridge spanning the street to unify the pedestrian experience of the park, provide a lookout viewing platform, and create a gateway marker over the street.
3.
Beautified Streetscape: Integrating the park with the streets that cut through it, the Enhanced Park Plan proposes distinctive street pavings to define a broader pedestrian realm and calm traffic.
4.
Public Art: The Enhanced Park Plan will realize the interactive outdoor sculptural pieces planned for in the Base Park. It will also build upon the series of cultural objet gardens of the Base Park.
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