One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
A Subway Runs Through It: School District Officials Oppose Tunneling Under Beverly Hills High
Photo by Non Paratus via LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr
The Avenue of the Stars/Constellation route being considered for the subway's Westside extension would mean tunneling "through the heart of Century City," including underneath Beverly Hills High School. Though this option is attractive to prominent developers, it would dramatically alter plans Beverly Hills Unified School District has to renovate its outdated, "creaky and rattling," 22-acre campus, say district officials, according to the LA Times.
Beverly Hills officials contend the Santa Monica Boulevard option, running on the northern edge of Century City, is both "cheaper and less disruptive" and would be a straighter path. MTA awaits the final environmental impact report on the 9-mile extension, estimated to cost $5.34 billion (if completed by 2022).
The debate is pitting the school district, which is planning to spend $150 million in voter-approved bond money to modernize Beverly High, against some prominent developers and many Los Angeles homeowners who favor a station in central Century City.
Says Beverly Hills schools Supt. Richard Douglas, "The available land where we can build anything above or below ground is exactly where they propose to build a metro tunnel." Engineers are evaluating how to accommodate the school district's concerns should the Avenue of the Stars/Constellation site get the green light. "We think we can work with them, and they can get what they need done underground," said an MTA spokeswoman.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who is on the MTA board, said ongoing safety and ridership studies would be key. "The decision the MTA should make is to maximize the benefit to the public," he said, "not to any particular property owner."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
