CIVIC PARK FACES OBSTACLES PROPOSED FEATURES MAY PROVE TOO COSTLY.

Byline: Troy Anderson  Staff Writer

Los Angeles Grand Avenue Authority officials on Monday questioned whether $50 million will be enough to build a bandshell, pavilion, small lake and other key features developers have promised for the downtown civic park.

Authority chair and county Supervisor Gloria Molina also expressed concerns that the developer seemed to be more focused on development of a residential tower, hotel and retail shops - not the park - as part of the first phase of the $1.8 billion project.

``The park has to be worked on with the same kind of intensity,'' Molina said. ``Also, I want the committee and everyone to understand that we only have $50 million, although that's an awful lot of money. I don't want to get into a situation where we're going beyond what we can afford to pay.''

Bill Witte, president of developer The Related Companies, said plans for the park will be developed over the summer, with construction expected to begin by the end of the year.

``The way we propose to handle this is to come up with a first-class concept and design, but to be a little wary of the sort of major improvements where you really get into the big dollars,'' Witte said. ``That's not to say that at some point those things can't be added.

``Where you start to get into trouble is when you start talking about a major bandshell and things like that that can be potentially nice but beyond our scope at this point.''

Driven by the vision of billionaire Eli Broad, city and county officials have been at work for a few years now on a development plan that would connect the corridors that highlight the city's architectural icons - the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels and City Hall.

In recent months, officials have focused on a public park between City Hall and the county's Music Center, and the public has suggested it include a bandshell, pavilion and ``water features.''

Recently, officials have considered relocating the county Hall of Administration building and the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, which would increase the size of the park from 16 acres to 26 acres.

Authority member and Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry said it's ``fun to fantasize'' about the park's possibilities, but some features, especially a small lake built above the existing parking garage, could become very costly. She also pointed out the area has a high water table.

``It's just tricky,'' Perry said. ``Putting water on top of something that is basically hollowed out underneath requires a great deal of care.''

Witte said the parking garage was built like a ``bomb shelter in the 1950s,'' and their preliminary investigation indicates it shouldn't have any problem supporting the weight of various park enhancements.

But rather than spend a lot of money on these additional features, Witte said their preliminary ideas involve removing the parking garage ramps to open up the park, adding new landscaping and gardens and creating areas where concerts and farmer's markets could be held.

Troy Anderson, [phone]

troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com