As the Wilshire Grand continues to rise steadily higher into the air — beginning to poke out of the Financial District like a sapling pushing through the forest canopy — we, in Downtown LA, are close to gaining the new tallest skyscraper west of Chicago surpassing both our own Library Tower and SF’s new tallest Transbay Center that’s also currently under construction. But that’s not all we’re gaining from the new Wilshire Grand project. As part of the approvals for the new tower, the developer Korean Air will also be funding an extensive multi-million dollar street improvement project adjacent to the tower along Downtown LA’s most significant east-west thoroughfare, 7th Street, that’s lined with some of the most beautiful historic structures on the west coast including the spectacular 1928 Fine Arts Building.

At a cost of $9.175 million, the new 7th Street Improvement Project is aimed at enhancing access for both pedestrians and other modes of transit (i.e., cars, bikes, and the future streetcar). The improvements will start at the 110 freeway overpass bridge and stretch seven blocks east all the way to Olive Street by the LA Athletic Club (I hope it can be extended later on when more funding is secured). In addition, the Wilshire Blvd overpass bridge just to the north will also be included in the improvement project. (And remember we did an “Ideas for Downtown LA” post in 2013 about this very topic concerning pedestrian enhancements along the overpass bridge to connect City West to the Financial District? Click here to read more about it.)

So what exactly will this exciting project entail?

Last fall in 2014, the developer Korean Air put together an experienced project team of various experts in urban design and planning that’s partnered up with LA’s Department of City Planning and LADOT to study the 7th Street corridor and propose specific enhancements within the budget requirements. The ultimate goal of the team is to help identify ways to create stronger connections to-and-from 7th Street with the rest of downtown and to establish a strong iconic identity for 7th Street, which will strengthen Downtown LA’s urban cred overall as well. There are currently three concepts being considered, which were narrowed down from seven original concepts (my favorite is the most ambitious Concept #3).

Here are some of the highlights of what the project could include:

Widened sidewalks and “bulb-outs” at intersections to shorten crossings for pedestrians

New enhanced bike lanes including cycle (separated) tracks and bike racks

Transit platforms and shelters

Scatter/diagonal crossings at Figueroa and Flower to separate pedestrians from vehicular traffic (should mitigate jaywalking issue)

Aesthetic placemaking enhancements like new street furniture, trees and grates

New pedestrian lighting as well as signage and wayfinding

What it boils down to is how can we elevate 7th Street’s form and function to a more sophisticated level akin to other great urban streets in other great urban cities. Although 7th Street currently does lack the oomph of other more famous thoroughfares with strong identities — Hollywood Blvd, Sunset Blvd, Rodeo Drive, Third Street Promenade, etc. — it does have the great bones in place that makes perfect sense to further improve and refine its built environment.

The project team, which began its preliminary design process in fall 2014, met with Metro and Caltrans last year and is continuing its monthly meetings with LA’s Dept of City Planning and LADOT. The process of selecting a preferred concept to implement is still ongoing, which I want to reiterate is hopefully closer to Concept #3 with fully protected cycle tracks for bikes as well as wider sidewalks for pedestrians. The much needed scatter/diagonal crossings (seen in places like charming Old Town Pasadena or Tokyo’s massive Shibuya crossing) is also finalizing its analysis. A second public workshop is scheduled for sometime this spring 2015 and construction on the finalized concept is slated to begin a year and a half from now in fall 2016 around the auspicious time when Wilshire Grand will be wrapping up construction as well.

The project team includes:

Management: Martin Project Management

Design: Melendrez

Civil Engineering: KPFF

Signage/Wayfinding: Selbert Perkins Design

Lighting: Horton Lees Brogden

Transportation Planning: Crain & Associates

Scramble Studies: Gibson Transportation

Costing: Turner Construction Company