How could a dog ignore a web site called LACurbed.com?
I learned of this great site this morning after being struck by a Dog Trainer post about one of the silliest projects floating around this crazy city.
The project concerns a lot of green space – which I love for a variety reasons, mostly scatological.
But Curbed L.A., while its story was picked up by the Dog Trainer, has nothing to do with dog training, which was a bit of a disappointment. I’m into self-improvement.
The story – thank God! — also has nothing to do with the DWP, the mayor, the City Council, the controller or that Nuch guy – at least not yet.
The project in question is to build something like New York’s Central Park over the 101 freeway just east of the 110 in downtown Los Angeles.
According to Shelby Grad, the Dog Trainer investigative reporter who stole the story from Curbed LA:
“There are no firm design plans for the freeway cap — nor is there a firm price tag. The concepts show meandering open space and new high-rise development in and around what is now the 101. Backers are bullish, likening it to L.A.’s version of New York’s Central Park.
“Preliminary concepts say the park would likely be built as part of a public-private partnership that would involve some new high-rise construction. A community meeting on the project is scheduled for May 13 at Caltrans headquarters, according to Curbed L.A.”
Grad didn’t even steal the funniest part of the Cubed LA post:
“While we don’t know what designs are currently on the table, interns at EDAW AECOM created plans for the project in 2008 that called for a half-mile cap with ‘an iconic gateway and overlook at Grand Avenue’ that would include the tallest structure on the west coast.”
Interns? The tallest structure on the West Coast?
One of the comments on Curbed called the project “architectural masturbation,” a term I hadn’t come across before, but obviously familiar to Curb’s audience, which seem to know a lot about building things.
Another one of these things is apparently planned for the Hollywood Freeway. That idea has been kicking around for a while.
First, it’s insulting that Caltrans is spending a dime on this idiocy. But more frightening is the idea of waking up one morning to the Garcetti Skating Rink or the Lake LaBonge.
Let’s kill this one in the cradle.
Woof!