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The Downtown Dog Park That Charges Rent
The Arts District Dog Park sign (Photo via Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Dog Park)
The Arts District is becoming the "it" place downtown, full of hip coffee joints, trendy lofts and even a new arcade bar. But something local residents didn't count on is for their beloved dog park to start charging $60.
Downtown News reported this week that the Arts District Dog Park, which is located at Molino and Fourth streets and has been opened since 2010, has been locked up for the past three weeks. The only way to get in is to pay $60 for a key that allows usage of the facility for six months. Sounds exclusive, right? But it really has to do more with the cost of running the park.
The Arts District Dog Park is not a city park; it's privately run by the Los Angeles River Artists and Business Association (LARABA). In a sign posted at the park, it read, "It is a private park made possible by funding and volunteers from LARABA."
And it's been costing the group $4,000 a year to manage and clean the park, in addition to paying property taxes and utility bills. LARABA took over the park's responsibilities from the Arts District Business Improvement District (BID) after the group shuttered in May 2013, but it's getting to be too pricey for the group to afford the entire cost. They're still willing to pay part of the cost though as long as locals chip in.
The Los Angeles Downtown Arts District Dog Park posted on their Facebook page, "Hopefully we'll get enough donors to come forward to satisfy LARABA's budget and reopen the park."
Downtown News reported that only seven keys have been bought. It might be a lonely existence for these poor pups in the meantime.
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