The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $33 million in funding Tuesday for the renovation of the Music Center Plaza in downtown Los Angeles.
Supervisor Hilda Solis said the upgrade would open up the space, which has not been renovated for decades, and create a more seamless connection with Grand Park across the street.
The work will level the plaza to align it with the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Mark Taper Forum and add escalators alongside the stairs leading to Grand Avenue.
Solis said her favorite thing about the plans for the renovation is a new restaurant that will feature a rotating roster of local chefs. Makeshift food and beverage stands will be replaced by permanent structures and new public restrooms will also be added.
The project was originally estimated to cost $30 million, with the county putting up $25 million and the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County, which operates the Music Center, paying the balance. Design complications have increased the cost to $40 million with the Performing Arts Center now set to contribute $10 million.
Solis said she expected the work to be completed by the spring of 2019. In the meantime, the theaters will continue normal operations despite construction barriers, which will be decorated by Los Angeles artists.
