8 Miracle Mile 2021
Larchmont Chronicle
34TH ANNUAL EDITION
Construction, public safety are among MMRA’s concerns
By Suzan Filipek As usual, there’s a lot going on in Miracle Mile, though 2021 seems even busier than most years with several major developments underway. Which is why sometimes it’s the simple projects that can help put things in perspective. “I think things like a dog park go a long way to bring neighborhoods together,” said Greg Goldin, president of the Miracle Mile Residential Association (MMRA). According to Goldin, an ideal grassy spot would be in Hancock Park, (parallel to W. Sixth St. along the north side of the La Brea Tar Pits parking lot). The Tar Pits, however, has plans of its own for a major redevelopment of the site by architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi. Down Wilshire Blvd., also on the Mile’s famed Museum Row, the Academy Museum is set to open Sept. 30, 2021 at the corner of Fairfax Avenue. While there is international buzz about the new facility saluting the film capital of the world, with the MMRA there is concern about the movie museum’s parking. Original plans called for the movie museum parking to be at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Spalding Ave. lot, but because of LACMA de-
velopment, that is no longer an option. “We’re concerned with this, because we don’t know how this will work with traffic,” said Goldin. (According to the City Planning Dept., the majority of the Academy Museum’s required parking will still be provided at LACMA’s Pritzker Garage (378 of 466 required spaces), and the Academy proposes to utilize the Petersen Automotive Museum or the 6100 Wilshire Building for the remaining 88 required spaces.) LACMA, for its part, is well underway with its redevelopment plans, which include building the David Geffen Galleries over Wilshire Boulevard. Neighborhood concerns include other developments, as well. Among them is the 42-story Mirabel mixed-use apartment project at Wilshire and Cochran Ave. Goldin praised its design, which includes a sleek tower so as to lessen the impact of shadows on the neighborhood. No question Mile development is intense, “but we’re not in a position to stop this juggernaut. … But we do have the right to raise our concerns,” Goldin said. Which, besides density, includes aesthetics, so that projects conform to the area’s rich
PHOTOGRAPH of A. W. Ross, founder of Miracle Mile, from “National Geographic Magazine,” circa 1960. Courtesy of MMRALA.com
Art Deco past, he noted. The MMRA is also determined to keep Wilshire Green Park, a pocket park on Eighth Street between Curson and
Masselin avenues. It’s at the block-square Wilshire Courtyard property, recently bought by Onni Group, which plans to redevelop the north half of the site and build two towers, 35and 41-stories, there. Another property — a cityowned small parking lot south of Wilshire between Cochran and Cloverdale — is being eyed as a homeless housing site. And Olympia Medical Center’s recent announcement to close at the end of this month sparked concern. Goldin hopes a deal can be reached with city leaders to extend the closure through the pandemic. Safety, and more safety Miracle Mile boasts a safety program that includes 29 captains (out of 55 blocks), a disaster preparedness plan and a neighborhood watch.
“Block organization is necessary … Moreover, it greatly improves the quality of life for our neighbors who participate in the program,” said Kari Garcia, vice president and chair of the MMRA Safety Committee/ Neighborhood Watch. “Hopefully, most people know that after the expected earthquake we will not have any city services whether it is LAPD or LAFD response for up to 72 hours, if not longer,” Garcia noted. Visit mmrala. com and miraclemilela.com/ safety-committee/ Fifth Avenue of the West Dramatic changes that would earn Wilshire Boulevard the nickname “Fifth Avenue of the West” began in 1920 when A.W. Ross purchased 18 acres along the boulevard, according to the MMRA website.
ACADEMY MUSEUM on Wllshire Boulevard at Fairfax Avenue is set to open Sept. 30, 2021.