Subject: Featured Article: Historic Skid Row Firehouse to Become Youth Arts Center From: Elena Stern To: stephen.box@lacity.org Date Sent: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 18:3: Date Received: Wed, 05 Dec 2018 1 0 +0000 30 -0800 (PST) December 5.2018 Viow this email in vour browser A) scparment orpeoc ors SES! Puc attains otico SE NEWS curpPincs | Today's Contents Below are articles culled from newspapers and other perodicals relating tothe activites ofthe Deparment of Public Works, They are being submited to you for information purpases ony Historic Skid Row Firehouse to Become Youth Arts Center « LA plans to make plastic straws available only on request «California would quarantee a bed for every homeless person under new bill «SF supervisors tell big buildings — City Hall included — to sort their trash SF plans to build housing on top of a bus yard in first-of-its-kind proposal «Uber, Lyft drivers secure $17.22 minimum wage in new TLC rules ¢ Denver adds coffee cups to recycling list amid growing interest in solutions The Holiday Recycling Woes are Upon Us LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN NEWS Historic Skid Row Firehouse to Become Youth Arts Center By: Sean P, Thomas December 5, 2018 189 / 218,DTLA- Many projects in Downtown Los Angeles have faced delays, but few have had ‘a more curious story than the plan to refurbish and renovate Skid Row’s Firehouse No. 23. The funds for the development were approved 22 years ago. Now, finally, tis ready to move forward, and plans call for a groundbreaking as soon as February. Yet just as things appear ready to roll, some opposition has risen, with opponents charging the project that will create an art center for low-income children shortchanges the adults in Skid Row who could benefit from an artistic outlet, The plans, and the opposition, were in the spotlight at a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the James M. Woods Community Center on East Fifth Street. Architecture firm Brooks + Scarpa is handling designs for the transformation of the three-story structure at 225 E. Fifth St. According to Diane Thepkhounphithack, designer and project manager for Brooks + Scarpa, the project is in the plan check phase, with the Department of Building and Safety evaluating the proposal. The project is being undertaken by the city, which owns the firehouse. Neil L. Drucker, program manager for the Bureau of Engineering's Recreations and Cultural Facilities program, said the first phase of the renovation will begin in February, and will include stripping worn paint, seismic upgrades and the completion of structural improvements, The second phase will include renovating the space. No timeline for an opening has been revealed. The project is funded through Proposition K, which was approved by Los Angeles voters in 1996 to fund the acquisition, improvement, construction and maintenance of city parks, recreation facilities and other youth-oriented spaces. The measure earmarked money for 183 projects, including Firehouse No, 23's transition into a youth arts center. Prop. K allocates $25 million annually to such projects, which range from renovated sports fields to street lighting improvements, The projects must be finished by 2026 Of the original 183 projects, 60 remain to be completed, The projects have been rolled out sporadically, and the Skid Row facility will come after five other youth arts centers were finished. The ballot proposition allocated $2.3 milion to the firehouse through what Deputy City Attorney Marcia Gonzales- 190 / 218Kimbrough called a loose estimation process, Inflation and rising construction costs will put the price well above what was originally allocated. Gonzales-Kimbrough said a final cost cannot be determined until the full scope of what type of programming the center will offer is revealed. That wil also impact Brooks + Scarpa’s design “It's kind of a chicken and egg situation," Gonzalez-Kimbrough said. “You need a design to do a cost estimate. But you can't fully do that until you know what you're ‘going to do with the space.” ‘What is known is that the project will offer programming and arts classes for children ages 3 to 17. The Department of Cultural Affairs will oversee the facility, Leslie Thomas, Community Arts Division Director for the Department of Cultural ‘Affairs, said that he is interested in developing a program based on intergenerational arts where different age groups work together, The firehouse was built in 1910 and served as the headquarters of the Los Angeles Fire Department until 1920, The station was once known as the “Taj Mahal" of firehouses for its ornate features and expensive imported materials. The building shuttered in 1960 as the department began replacing older stations with newer facilites, It has since been used as an occasional filming location, with cameos in Ghostbusters, Police Academy 2 and Big Trouble in Little China In recent years the firehouse grew dilapidated. Drucker said there has been a number of break-ins at the property over the past decade. He said that city is considering installing new security measures including additional gates, alarms and cameras. ‘As plans move forward, some are questioning the need for a youth arts center in Skid Row. The Wednesday meeting saw numerous questions as to whether the property could also function as an arts space for adult. Members of the Local Volunteer Neighborhood Oversight Committee, a civilian board created through Prop K to oversee the project, reiterated concerns on the topic made by community members at a previous meeting, Theresa Hwang, a member of the LVNOC, questioned city staff on whether a split use, with one part focusing on youth programming, and another offering something akin to “community programming,” would be feasible. 191 / 218.