L.A. DREAMING OF FIELDS IN SKY ABOVE FREEWAY.Byline: KERRY CAVANAUGH Staff Writer In an idea seemingly straight out of a Hollywood sci-fi film, officials concerned about the city's shrinking open space have proposed building a giant freeway bridge and covering it with a massive park. The Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. voted Tuesday to spend $100,000 to
study the feasibility of developing Hollywood Central Park, capping a
mile-long stretch of the 101 Freeway in Hollywood with grass, trees,
playgrounds and soccer fields.
And in a city with increasingly dense development, where land is at a premium, municipal leaders hope such projects can inject more green into the urban environment. ``A lot of people see this as an example to set for the rest of the city. Everybody wants to find more parkland and green space, and there's not a lot of land available,'' said Rochelle Silsbee, vice president of public policy for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which proposed the concept. What initially seemed like a far-out, ultra-expensive idea may help solve Los Angeles' park shortage, said City Council President Eric Garcetti Eric Garcetti (born 1971) is the son of former Los Angeles county district attorney Gil Garcetti, and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2001. He was reelected in 2005. . ``The price of land in Hollywood is so expensive, this is probably cheaper,'' he said. Phoenix, Seattle and Cincinnati already have parks over freeways, and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has raised $160,000 for the project. So far, chamber members have talked with California Department of Transportation The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is a government agency in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems in California. officials, state and federal legislators about money and political support. ``The politicians love it because you've created land out of thin air, and it's cheaper than buying land,'' said chamber member Don Scott
Teaming up with the chamber, the Community Redevelopment Agency will spend $100,000 to study whether the freeway park Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington, United States, extends from Downtown Seattle, where it adjoins the Washington State Convention and Trade Center, to First Hill. The park bridges over Interstate 5 and a large city-owned parking lot; 8th Avenue bridges over the park. is possible, what it would look like and how much it could cost. The study is expected to be completed by midyear mid·year n. 1. The middle of the calendar or academic year. 2. a. An examination given in the middle of a school year. b. midyears A series of such examinations. . kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com (213) 978-0390 CAPTION(S): map Map: Elevated park Gregg Miller/Staff Artist |
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