Grand Park

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Grand Park
Type Urban park
Location Civic Center, Los Angeles, California, United States
Coordinates 34°03′24″N 118°14′50″W / 34.056744°N 118.24728°W / 34.056744; -118.24728Coordinates: 34°03′24″N 118°14′50″W / 34.056744°N 118.24728°W / 34.056744; -118.24728
Area 12 acres (4.9 ha)
Created 2012
Operated by Los Angeles Music Center[1]
Status Open all year

The Grand Park is a 12 acres (4.9 ha) park located in the civic center of Los Angeles, California. It is part of the larger Grand Avenue Project, with its first phase having opened in July 2012.[2] The Grand Park is part of a joint venture by the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. Park programming and entertainment, security and upkeep is maintained by the nearby Los Angeles Music Center.[3]

The Grand Park stretches between the Los Angeles City Hall and the Los Angeles Music Center on Grand Avenue.[4] It is designed to be pedestrian friendly and connects Bunker Hill to the civic center. The park plans include tree-shaded sidewalks, drought-tolerant plants, an interactive fountain plaza, performance lawns and courtyards, plenty of street lights, movable park furniture, and kiosks to encourage the walking and exploration of the area. City officials and some visitors have compared Grand Park to other well-established urban parks such as New York's Central Park or San Francisco's Union Square.[5]

Prior to the creation of the Grand Park, the area was already a public space with plazas, fountains and a Court of Flags.[6]

Grand Park Fountains and Los Angeles City Hall

Activities

By virtue of the mostly sunny weather, the park also features programs year-round.[7] In 2012, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors allocated $3.3 million for the first year's operations, mainly to cover logistics such as security and maintenance, with $100,000 for programming.[8] Events will be coordinated by the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, which also oversees the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The inaugural event featured Bandaloop, a professed vertical dance company of aerialists, performing against the backdrop of Los Angeles City Hall.[9] During the first six months, Grand Park hosted about 40 events. Some were bids for a mass audience, while others aimed to grab passers-by.[10]

The Community Terrace features a large picnic table and lawn area for gatherings and viewing visuals projected on nearby wall of the Hall of Records. Open lawn space can be used for major public events such as New Year’s Eve celebrations and festivals.

Transportation

A fountain on a stone plaza, with skyscrapers in the background
The Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain

Direct access to the park is available on the Los Angeles Metro Red Line and Purple Line at the Civic Center station. The park is also accessible via the Silver Line's 1st Street/Hill Street stop or its Spring Street/City Hall stop.[11] Several local, rapid and express Metro bus routes also share the same 1st Street/Hill Street stop at the civic center.

History

Grand Park features bright pink seating and mature trees.

Construction on the Grand Park began in 2010 and carries a price tag of $56 million.[12] The park was paid for by $50 million from Related Companies, the developer planning the nearby building projects as part of the Grand Avenue Project. The park was supposed to be part of a later phase of a $775-million Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use development. But that changed when the Great Recession struck, undermining the condominium sales market that was a bedrock of the overall plan.[13] Other phases of the project remained stalled amid the recession, but the park moved forward thanks to a special agreement between the joint powers authority overseeing the project and its developer.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/music-center-to-operate-civic-park/article_e41fc144-a9e1-11e1-b6e4-0019bb2963f4.html Music Center to Operate Civic Park
  2. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grandpark-20120725,0,818698,full.story New park in downtown Los Angeles inspires grand hopes
  3. ↑ http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-grand-park-review-20120725,0,6950147,full.story Downtown's Grand Park makes exuberant use of a tough spot
  4. ↑ http://grandpark.lacounty.gov/maps.htm Grand Park maps
  5. ↑ Jennifer Medina (August 18, 2012), Los Angeles Puts a New Park at Its Heart New York Times.
  6. ↑ http://grandpark.lacounty.gov/faqs.htm Grand Park FAQs
  7. ↑ Jennifer Medina (August 18, 2012), Los Angeles Puts a New Park at Its Heart New York Times.
  8. ↑ Mike Boehm (December 29, 2012), Grand Park holds grand potential for Music Center Los Angeles Times.
  9. ↑ Peter Slatin (November 27, 2012), Simple Start of a Bold Vision for Downtown Los Angeles New York Times.
  10. ↑ Mike Boehm (December 29, 2012), Grand Park holds grand potential for Music Center Los Angeles Times.
  11. ↑ http://www.metro.net/riding/go-metro-to-grand-park/ Go Metro to Grand Park
  12. ↑ David Ng (June 27, 2012), Downtown L.A.'s Grand Park readies for July 28 partial opening Los Angeles Times.
  13. ↑ Peter Slatin (November 27, 2012), Simple Start of a Bold Vision for Downtown Los Angeles New York Times.

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