Grand Park

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
Designer Rios Clementi Hale Studios
Operated by Los Angeles Music Center[1]
Status Open all year

Grand Park is a 12-acre (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] Grand Park is part of a joint venture by the city of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. It was designed and built by the Los-Angeles-based multidisciplinary design firm Rios Clementi Hale Studios. [3] Park programming and entertainment, security and upkeep is maintained by the nearby Los Angeles Music Center.[4]

Grand Park stretches between the Los Angeles City Hall and the Los Angeles Music Center on Grand Avenue.[5] 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.[6]

Prior to the creation of Grand Park, the area was already a public space with plazas, fountains and a Court of Flags.[7]

The Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain and Los Angeles City Hall

Activities

By virtue of the mostly sunny weather, the park also features programs year-round.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]

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

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.[12] 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 Grand Park began in 2010 and carries a price tag of $56 million.[13] 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.[14] 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.

Management

The Los Angeles Music Center's contract to operate Grand Park is expected to run until mid-2017; in addition, it earns in rents and fees charged to concessionaires and others. Routine security is provided by the Music Center's security department, and law enforcement services by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. In 2014, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved funding of $1 million for an independent nonprofit group, the Grand Park Foundation.[15]

Significant events

On December 31, 2013-January 1, 2014, "N.Y.E. LA", Los Angeles' first major public New Year's Eve celebration was held in the park. The event, which included food trucks, art installations, and various color and light shows, among other things, drew an estimated 25,000 spectators. At 11:59 p.m., a massive light projection onto the side of Los Angeles City Hall began, displaying various dramatic visual art before ultimately counting down to midnight with the crowd. It was intended to become an annual celebration, with the hope that it would rival other major cities' festivities in years to come (notably the ball drop in New York City's Times Square).[16]

On August 30-31, 2014, Jay Z's Labor Day Made in America Festival was held in Grand Park featuring, Imagine Dragons, John Mayer, Kanye West, and many other performers.

An Armenian genocide memorial opened in September 2016.[17]

Memorials, markers and statuary

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Grand Park.

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://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
  5. ↑ http://grandpark.lacounty.gov/maps.htm Grand Park maps
  6. ↑ Jennifer Medina (August 18, 2012), Los Angeles Puts a New Park at Its Heart New York Times.
  7. ↑ http://grandpark.lacounty.gov/faqs.htm Grand Park FAQs
  8. ↑ Jennifer Medina (August 18, 2012), Los Angeles Puts a New Park at Its Heart New York Times.
  9. ↑ Mike Boehm (December 29, 2012), Grand Park holds grand potential for Music Center Los Angeles Times.
  10. ↑ Peter Slatin (November 27, 2012), Simple Start of a Bold Vision for Downtown Los Angeles New York Times.
  11. ↑ Mike Boehm (December 29, 2012), Grand Park holds grand potential for Music Center Los Angeles Times.
  12. ↑ http://www.metro.net/riding/go-metro-to-grand-park/ Go Metro to Grand Park
  13. ↑ David Ng (June 27, 2012), Downtown L.A.'s Grand Park readies for July 28 partial opening Los Angeles Times.
  14. ↑ Peter Slatin (November 27, 2012), Simple Start of a Bold Vision for Downtown Los Angeles New York Times.
  15. ↑ Mike Boehm (June 25, 2014), Supervisor Molina starts new foundation to oversee Grand Park Los Angeles Times.
  16. ↑ Saillant, Catherine; Schaefer, Samantha (January 1, 2014). "Grand Park New Year's Eve bash called a success". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  17. ↑ Boxall, Bettina. "Memorial to Armenian genocide unveiled in L.A.'s Grand Park." Los Angeles Times. September 17, 2016. Retrieved on September 19, 2016.
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