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Pershing Square Redesign Expected To Start At The End Of 2020
A rendering of the Pershing Square redesign Courtesy Agence Ter and Team
In 2016, city officials announced the selection of a redesign for downtown’s Pershing Square. According to the announcement at the time, the winning design firm, Agence TER, planned to flatten the now-elevated area and incorporate a great lawn, a shade canopy, a water feature for kids and vibrant lighting.
A rendering of the Pershing Square redesign (Courtesy Agence Ter and Team)
Since that time, the city has been relatively mum about moving forward. That changed Monday, however, when Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, Agence Ter’s principal and lead designer Henri Bava and several other officials and designers publicly released a timeline for the renovation.
The design will be rolled out in several phases:
- Phase One, which is expected to begin at the end of 2020 and be completed by the end of 2022, will include removing walls on Olive Street, adding shade trees and replacing the elevators and signage.
- Phase Two is expected to begin at the end of 2022 and be completed by early to mid-2024. That round of renovation will include the removal of more walls and the addition of a pedestrian walkway, a pet-care area, and more trees.
A rendering of the Pershing Square redesign (Courtesy Agence Ter and Team)
The next stage of renovations is still up for debate, and it may be broken into two more phases. By the end of the project, the park will be greener, much more pedestrian and family-friendly, and incorporate trees that will provide shade throughout the day.
“With the new design, Pershing Square will be reenergized,” said Huizar in a statement. “It will once again affirm its standing as the preeminent public space; the town square of Downtown Los Angeles.”
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Officials said they expect that the entire redesign will take 10 years to complete and cost an estimated $110 Million.
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