Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Metro Construction Updates: Closures Moving East of La Brea This Weekend

metrodeckingheader
Metro photo of the recent decking installation work at the Wilshire/La Brea intersection

At its bi-monthly Construction Community Meeting this past Thursday, July 21, Metro announced that concrete decking installation at the Wilshire-La Brea intersection would be completed over the July 22-24 weekend and closures this coming weekend (July 29-31) will move east of La Brea, leaving that street fully open once again for weekend north/south traffic.

According to Billy Parent, representing Metro construction contractor Skanska, piling work will also be complete in the general Wilshire/La Brea station area near the end of this month, and will move to the Fairfax station area after that.  The intersection of Fairfax and Wilshire is currently being prepared for piling, with the reconfiguration of traffic lanes there.

Jet-grouting, the process of injecting hardening materials into the soil around parts of the station area, will begin east of La Brea in September, and will take place concurrently with the weekend decking work there.

Finally, further west, Metro is now conducting Advanced Utility Relocation work at the La Cienega station area, although Mindy Lake, Metro community construction relations officer for the La Cienega station, noted that the schedule has been delayed a bit because nesting birds were found in the area.  The AUR work will resume after nesting season, when the baby birds are gone.

Also at Thursday’s meeting, Metro provided an update on its EatShopPlay program, which promotes local businesses affected by the subway construction.  Metro’s current Business Spotlight features the Wig Shop at 5376 Wilshire (Wilshire and Cloverdale)…and its next featured Lunch Meetup will be held at MixtGreens, at 5757 Wilshire Blvd. (in the SAG/AFTRA complex), on Friday, August 5, at 11:15 a.m..

In addition to EatShopPlay promotions, Metro’s Paula Carvajal discussed the Business Interruption Fund, which can provide financial support to negatively affected small businesses along the Wilshire corridor. To apply for these relief funds, a business must face or be adjacent to a current construction area, have less than 25 employees, have been located along the Wilshire corridor for at least two years, and must be a for-profit or non-profit corporation (not a religious organization).  The fund can provide up to $50,000 to each business, depending on various factors, to make up for income lost during the subway construction.

Business owners who would like to apply can contact the BIF Administrator, Pacific Coast Regional Small Business Development Corporation (PCR) at pcrcorp.org or call 213.739.2999, ext. 223.  There will also be two BIF informational workshops coming up, on August 2 at 9:30 a.m. at the LA Times Community Rm. (145 S. Spring St.), and September 7 at 12:30 p.m. at the PLE Field Office, 5055 Wilshire Blvd.  For more information about the BIF, contact [email protected].

Finally in Thursday’s presentations, Susan Gray, from Metro’s art department, noted that there will be a workshop on the art program for the three new Purple Line stations on Saturday, October 1, at 11:30 a.m., at the Craft and Folk Art Museum.  The goal of the workshop will be to help gather input on artworks for the new stations.  According to Gray, it will be a very hands-on session, and all ages are welcome.  Participants are welcome to bring photos, music, stories, or poems that inspire them.

Gray said station artists will work with the community throughout the construction process to develop ideas for station art.  Metro will also hold technical assistance workshops for artists during the development process.  And if anyone is interested in touring the artworks at current Metro subway stations, Metro provides free, docent-led guided tours.  The tours are about two hours long and usually held on weekends…though Metro can also schedule special tours for private groups.  For more information about Metro’s current station art, and the art development process for the new Purple Line stations, contact [email protected].  You can also sign up for either artist or community updates on the station art program at https://www.metro.net/about/art/

The full presentation materials from Thursday’s Construction Community meeting are available online at http://media.metro.net/projects_studies/westside/images/presentation_purpleline_2016-0721.pdf

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and has been writing for the Buzz since 2015.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Calendar

Latest Articles

.printfriendly { padding: 0 0 60px 50px; }