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CC - (1) Presentation Regarding the Status of Media Park, and (2) Direction to the City Manager as Deemed Appropriate.
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Meeting Date: March 11, 2019
Contact Person/Dept: Elaine Gerety Warner/Economic Development
Todd Tipton/Economic Development
Phone Number: 310-253-5752
310-253-5783
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Commission Action Required: Yes [] No [X] Date:
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - City Council (03/06/19); the Downtown Business Association (03/06/19); The Actors’ Gang (03/06/2019); The Culver Studios (3/6/19).
Department Approval: Sol Blumenfeld, Community Development Director (03/04/19)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council (1) receive a presentation regarding the status of Media Park; and (2) provide direction to the City manager as deemed appropriate.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In 1987, the former Culver City Redevelopment Agency (CCRA) entered into a long-term lease agreement with the City of Los Angeles to revitalize and maintain Media Park and the historic Ivy Substation (the “Lease”). Upon the dissolution of the former CCRA, the Lease transferred by operation of law from the former CCRA to the Successor Agency to the Culver City Redevelopment Agency in 2012. The Lease was subsequently assigned to the City. The Lease runs in parallel with the Ivy Substation lease, and both expire in June 2037.
The park was originally improved with pagodas, planters, lighting and landscaping. Recent enhancements to the park include increased maintenance, power washing, new lighting fixtures, new trashcans, electrical repairs and landscape modifications adjacent to the Ivy Substation.
Staff explored activating the Park with a coffee concession, adding new spaces for a tot lot, bocce ball or similar games and additional seating areas in order to increase park daytime and evening use. One impediment to securing a coffee concession, however, has been the lack of electrical infrastructure. To address this issue, funds for electrical infrastructure were included in the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 budget.
Media Park provides much needed open space in Downtown. If designed with appropriate amenities, Media Park can function as a gathering spot for employees, residents and visitors. To ensure the space is designed properly staff believes it may be useful to delay the electrical infrastructure improvements and instead use a portion of the funds to create a conceptual plan that identifies potential amenities and clarifies how Media Park can be best utilized. Issues that would be considered in developing a conceptual plan, include, but are not limited to:
• Space requirements for a Media Park bike hub with bike repair and bike share facilities;
• Space requirements and potential need for a tot lot;
• Potential opportunities to partner with the business community, Downtown businesses and arts community stakeholders to develop arts related programming space and possibly a performance space;
• Media Park as a potential new location for the Farmer’s Market;
• Potential closure of Canfield Avenue in order to expand the size of Media Park; and
• Potential opportunities to partner with the Downtown business community and other area stakeholders to finance Media Park’s planning and design.
On February 6, 2019, staff discussed Media Park’s status with the Economic Development Subcommittee and was directed to bring the matter to the City Council for further discussion. If the City Council is interested in delaying the electrical infrastructure improvements and instead creating a conceptual plan, staff will obtain proposal from qualified design firms and return to the City Council for direction.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
Sufficient funds (approximately $100,000) exist in the Fiscal Year 2018-2019 budget to install electrical infrastructure in Media Park.
MOTION
That the City Council:
1. Receive a presentation regarding the status of Media Park; and
2. Provide direction to the City Manager as deemed appropriate.