The concrete-line trickle we call the LA River is one step closer today to rebuilding itself into something that actually resembles a river. The Civil Works Review Board of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers unanimously approved a $1.3 billion revitalization plan this morning in Washington, D.C.
There's already been a recent flurry of excitement along the river, but the approved plan would reestablish natural habitats and add new recreational elements along a 11-mile stretch between Downtown LA and Griffith Park. That infamous concrete lining won't completely go away—we still need to control flooding somehow. Instead, those Terminator 2 eyesores would transform into wider, terraced banks that would support more trees and grasses along with small streams. In addition to 719 acres of reclaimed greenspace, the approved plan calls for the addition of trails, vista points, educational amenities and pedestrian bridges.
Don't expect to see the concrete torn up quite yet; the plan still has to pass a few committee hurdles, including Congressional authorization (which is expected by early 2016). But this morning's approval signals that the project is technically, environmentally and economically feasible. Also, Frogtown residents, it means that your hood is officially happening.
Learn more about the history of the river and why its revitalization is so important to city leaders in the video below:
