Exposition Park WELCOME HOME

In the latest twist in George Lucas’ effort to build his proposed Museum of Narrative Art, the legendry filmmaker has simultaneously unveiled designs for potential locations in Exposition Park and at San Francisco’s Treasure Island. The Exposition Park site consists of two surface parking lots along Vermont Avenue, situated west of the California Science Center and south of Metro’s Expo/Vermont Station. According to preliminary designs presented eariler this week to Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, the proposed building, designed by Ma Yansoung of MAD Architects, would contain between 265,000 and 275,000 square feet of interior space, of which 100,000 square feet would be dedicated for galleries.

In just two months, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena has been reduced to rubble without much fanfare. Now, a video posted to the LAFC website will let you watch the demolition process unfold in less than 30 seconds. The 57-year-old Sports Arena, located at 3939 S. Figueroa Street, is being demolished to make way for LAFC’s new home: the 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium. The soccer-specific venue, designed by Gensler, is scheduled to open in time for the 2018 MLS season.

At long last, light appears at the end of the tunnel for MyFigueroa. Last week, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation announced that construction will start in October for the long-awaited makeover of the Figueroa Corridor. The $20-million project will provide a variety of streetscape improvements between Downtown Los Angeles and Exposition Park, including protected bike lanes, new bus platforms and landscaping. Segments of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and 11th Street will also see upgrades under the plan.

Last month, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club officially broke ground on its new stadium in Exposition Park. Now, the team wants Angelenos to watch its $350-million home take form. A live camera perched in Exposition Park is currently capturing the demolition of the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, the historic but dilapidated structure which must make way for the LAFC project. After crews have finished tearing down the mid-20th century building, construction will officially commence for the 22,000-seat replacement venue, which will be known as the Banc of California Stadium.

On August 23, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will officially break ground on a $250-million stadium in Exposition Park. The 22,000-seat venue, designed by the architecture firm Gensler, will anchor a larger development featuring a conference center, office space, a soccer museum and 10,000 square feet of restaurants. The soccer-specific stadium will be highlighted by a series of glass canopies, that provide weather shielding for spectators and frame views of the Downtown skyline.

LA 2024 has released new renderings for two key venues in its bid to bring the 2024 Summer Olympic Games to Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Olympic officials have proposed modifying the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by adding a new temporary floor above the football field for use in track and field events. The area underneath the deck could be used as warm-up space. The temporary alterations would build upon USC’s planned $270-million renovation of the 93,000-seat stadium, which featured prominently in both the 1932 and 1984 Summer Games.

An initial study published by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning has cast new light on the Fig, a proposed mixed-use complex in Exposition Park. Spectrum Group, the Irvine-based real estate firm behind the development, is planning for mid-rise and high-rise buildings on a 4.4-acre site located across the street from the future LAFC soccer stadum. The project is divided into three components: a hotel, student housing and mixed-income apartments.

A mixed-use development consisting almost entirely of affordable housing is planned for a parcel located down the street from Exposition Park. Details read as follows: Rolland Curtis Partners, LLC is the owner of a site located at 1077 West 38th Street in the South Los Angeles Community Plan area in Council District 8. The Owner is proposing a mixed use project containing 140 residential units, including 138 deed restricted affordable units and approximately 8,000 square feet of commercial space (“project”).

Although Metro’s Expo Line has experienced no lack of proposed office, residential, hotel and retail developments near its Westside stations, investment has noticeably lagged in-between Culver City and Downtown LA. Well get ready South Los Angeles: Expo/Vermont Station is finally getting some much needed TOD action. Non-profit organizations T.R.U.S.T. South LA and Abode Communities are partnering on the redevelopment of Rolland Curtis Gardens, a 48-unit affordable housing complex located one block west of Vermont Avenue.

Earlier today, the University of Southern California unveiled preliminary plans for the highly anticipated renovation of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 93,607-seat stadium, built in 1923, is one of the country’s most storied sporting venues, with a list of past and current tenants that includes multiple NFL teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the USC and UCLA football programs. Most notably, the Coliseum played host to both the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games, and would serve a prominent role in Los Angeles’ efforts to win the 2024 installation.