Jan 28, 2008 5:03 pm US/Pacific
City Unveils $37M Project For Broadway Makeover
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ―
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'Bringing Back Broadway' is a 10-year plan to revive Broadway in Los Angeles.
CBS
A $36.5 million plan to make over Los Angeles' historic Broadway corridor and improve transportation between downtown's major developments was unveiled Monday by city and business leaders.
"Bringing Back Broadway" is a 10-year plan to upgrade Broadway between Third and Ninth streets by rehabilitating existing theaters, actively seeking new retail outlets, adding landscape and sidewalk improvements and providing nearby parking.
"The anchor to the success of this revitalization is the historic theaters," said City Councilman Jose Huizar, who represents the area.
"We're not utilizing (the theaters) to their potential," he said. "Once we support these theaters, make public improvements on the streets ... we'll have a lot more people walking on Broadway."
City officials are working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to develop possible routes for a streetcar service -- similar to the one that operated in downtown until 1961 -- that would link the Broadway corridor with the L.A. Live and Grand Avenue developments.
"Quite frankly, the city does not have a good transportation plan for downtown given the new developments, and we need a streetcar to not only bring back the nostalgia of that great transportation, but to also provide some real transportation for downtown Los Angeles," Huizar said.
The city's old streetcar system operated on rails. It is not yet known if a new system would operate on rails or as a bus system.
Unlike L.A. Live and Grand Avenue, which are designed to be major tourist destinations, the Broadway corridor will cater to the needs of nearby residents, Huizar said.
The corridor would be designed to accommodate "local residents who would like to go to a local restaurant or get a cup or coffee," he said.
"People who go to the shops, restaurants on Broadway are going to find unique, locally-based restaurants and shops. We don't envision national chain stores."
So far, $16.5 million in city, state and federal funds have been identified for streetscape designs, a new parking facility and the initial planning of the streetcar system.
Property owners have committed another $20 million for the rehabilitation of property on Broadway and business improvement activities.
"This initiative will make Los Angeles a national model for linking historic preservation to revitalization," said Linda Dishman of the Los Angeles Conservancy.
"The opportunities, beautiful architecture and rich entertainment history have always been here, while this kind of collaboration has been needed for a long, long time," she said. "This is exactly what Broadway needs.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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