Fashion District Revamps
Visitors to the Los Angeles Fashion District may soon notice additional construction in the 90-block area in downtown, when workers begin upgrading sidewalks and other common areas this spring as a result of a $1.3 million MTA grant the district received in 2001.
Most of the work will begin in June and will take place along busy Santee and Maple streets, which surround the popular Santee Alley retail district. Plans are to repair and replace several storm drains and then make improvements to the streetscape by widening sidewalks and upgrade landscaping and street lighting, said Kent Smith, executive director of the Fashion District Business Improvement District (BID).
The grant was received six years ago, but implementation was delayed due to budget constraints and other issues, Smith said. Funding will come from federal and state resources.
Smith said the work would extend from Olympic Boulevard on the north to Pico Boulevard on the south. Addition plans are to continue improvements between Los Angeles and Santee streets up to 7th Street, pending another $1.6 million grant the district is seeking via the MTA.
Other improvements to come include a renovation of the small median at Spring and Main streets, in front of the Angelique Cafeacute;, as well as a median at Eighth and San Pedro streets.
“There will be short-term discomfort as a result of the construction but long-term enjoyment,” said Smith. “When everything is completed, there will be a much more pedestrian- friendly environment.” —Robert McAllister
