This summer, the city and the "Bringing Back Broadway" coalition announced an exciting program to recreate the physical layout of the historic theatre district on Broadway between 1st and 11th Streets. Phase I, or the appropriately named "dress rehearsal" involved the creation of semi-permanent infrastructure to create plazas, barrier planters, and other traffic calming and pedestrian enhancement obligations.
Enthusiasm was high, and the Bringing Back Broadway website boasted that the dress rehearsal would begin in November of 2013 (aka, last month). A promised road diet, transit plaza for the future streetcar and other amenities would be far behind. For a full breakdown of everything that's planned, revisit this July 2 article on Streetsblog.
Ok, so obviously the November 2013 goal was missed, but the project is still moving forward and all participants, downtown businesses, LADOT, City Councilmembers and residents remain enthusiastic.
At tomorrow's Transportation Committee hearing, the City Council will take the first step in making sure the future enhancements are properly maintained by authorizing contracts with the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), the Fashion District BID and the Downtown Center BID. Each of the contracts are for two years, with a possible renewal for a third year and are not to exceed $350,000 for the two-year term.
City staff confirms that it can't give a definite timeline for when the street treatments will be completed, but will have a much better idea after the agreements with the BIDs are completed. Staff for the BIDs and LADOT confirmed that both sides are working together in what is being referred to as a model "public private partnership."
Streetsblog will continue to monitor this story as it develops.
