Los Angeles may soon receive a much-needed green boost. City officials have chosen the design team for a planned 2-acre park downtown, near the Los Angeles City Hall at 1st Street and Broadway. Their team headed by Mia Lehrer + Associates (MLA) also includes IDEO and OMA. Called FAB Park, the project could be finished by 2019.
The Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and Department of Recreation and Parks have settled on a budget of $28 million to create FAB Park. That budget includes money for “site work and a contingency fund.” Much of the money will come from what the city calls “Quimby funds” or “real-estate development fees.”
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According to MLA, IDEO, and OMA, the park would provide a “respite for downtown LA that celebrates the City’s diversity as its greatest asset and promotes civic engagement through the park’s highly versatile spaces to experience art, enjoy food, and revel in its unique urban/park setting.”
The park design incorporates features such as a plaza space for events, an upscale restaurant with an “edible roof garden,” and amphitheater seating. Restaurant revenues will go to park upkeep.
MLA, IDEO, and OMA said they hope to achieve “‘net-zero’ efficiency in water and energy use” and focus on water conservation and on collecting solar energy. Metal canopies equipped to collect solar power also provide shade. The design team plans to plant sycamore and oak trees that “respect the natural environments of Southern California.”
According to officials, the design is not yet final, but they chose MLA’s design because of its focus on shade, balance between man-made fixtures and greenery, and a stormwater filtration system.
The Los Angeles Times says FAB Park is part of the city’s efforts to invest in parks as the downtown area becomes more residential.
Via The Los Angeles Times
Images via OMA
