Earlier this year, the folks at LACMA hatched an plan to bring art, cultural programming and instructional workshops to South L.A.—and this week, that plan is one step closer to fruition.
According to Curbed, the recreation and parks department's Board of Commissioners voted today to move forward with the museum's plan to lease a vacant building at the South L.A. Wetlands Park. The building, formerly an industrial and storage site, has sat vacant for years; in 2008, an environmental impact report for the park stated that the building could potentially be rehabbed, but the necessary hazardous material removal and earthquake retrofitting were too expensive for the recreation and parks department.
Enter LACMA. The museum approached the department earlier this year about potentially retrofitting the 84,000-square foot building and signing a 35-year lease. If approved, the museum would offer art and culture-related and instructional public programs, operate a restaurant or café and retail space, and potentially use some space to store parts of its permanent art collection.
Representatives from the museum also want to ask community members exactly what they want to see happen at the park. At Wednesday's meeting, no one spoke out against the project, and both community members and the commissioners voiced excitement about what's to come. We're psyched too, so we'll keep you posted as more developments arise.
In the meantime, check out a few other essential L.A. museums to visit this summer.
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