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At today's L.A. City Council Public Safety Committee meeting (.pdf), the issue of what to do with the nearly emptied Parker Center is up for discussion. Since the new Police Administration Building opened in October, only the Scientific Investigation Division (SID) remains until the city finds a new 35,000 to 40,000 square foot facility in downtown. In the meantime, the city is considering a study on what to do with the building in an environmental impact report that will take place over the next year and seven months. Should they keep it? Demolish it? Give it historical status (being over 50 years old, it's eligible)?
"This will give the community and city an enormous opportunity to comment, to give input," stated Councilmember Jan Perry last week at a Information Technology & Government Affairs committee meeting, where the EIR process was recommended for approval. "I am personally looking forward to hearing what we get from the community... This can be a very interesting exercise in which all are encouraged to participate."
Perry wanted to make sure that the Joseph Young mural on the 1st floor of the Parker Center would be somehow preserved. To that, police officials responded by saying there were already plans to bring it to the new administration building.
Perry also added this historical nugget: "A lot of people did not know that a Buddhist temple was originally there, then moved to 1st street by the city. "
Until the SID is moved, the cost of housing them in the old Parker Center site is an estimated $100,000 a year, a line item that is not currently in the budget, according to police officials.
For the Record: The estimated cost to keep SID was originally reported as $100 million. It is actually $100,000.
