Civic Crossroads

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.

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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: 1O-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: Incorporate New Downtown Street Standards
Main and Spring improvements as part of larger district plan