CONCEPTUAL PLAN FORTHE LOS ANGELES RIVER STATE PARK AT TAYLOR YARD
Spring 2001
Taylor Yard is a 247-acre former railyard with over two miles of Los Angeles River frontage located near downtown Los Angeles, opposite Elysian Park just north of the Arroyo Seco. It is the largest undeveloped parcel on the LA River, presenting extraordinary opportunities for river restoration, stormwater detention, recreational resources and economic revitalization for the densely populated, underserved adjacent communities.
Since 1991, the surrounding communities of Cypress Park, Glassell Park,
Elysian Valley, Mount Washington, Atwater Village and Lincoln Heights
have been actively engaged in shaping nearly a dozen master planning efforts
for the site. The constant refrain has been the need for a balance of
open space and jobs, community services and retail.
The construction of a Federal Express building in the middle of the street
side of the site in 1997 severely compromised the opportunity to master
plan the site in the community's best interest.
Three large parcels totaling 126 acres remained available for comprehensive planning in 2000. State Assemblyspeaker Antonio Villaraigosa authored a visionary State Parks Bond that year which, for the first time, included substantial funds for urban parklands. The River Project worked closely with Assemblyspeaker Villaraigosa in developing a proposal to direct a total of more than $82 million from that bond towards projects on the Los Angeles River, including Taylor Yard. In June of 2000, the Governor and the legislature supported the proposal and allocated $45 Million for the creation of a State Park at Taylor Yard.
This conceptual plan photomontage illustrates the possibilities originally envisioned through consensus by the Coalition for a State Park at Taylor Yard for the proposed State Park, including:
- 62 acres of riparian habitat restoration and stormwater detention along the entire river frontage between the remaining active rail line and the river.
- 40 acres of active recreation areas between the rail line and San Fernando Road, shown with three soccer fields, two baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts, a children's play area, a 4,000-square- foot community building, picnic areas and a continuation of the riparian habitat along a portion of the rail line.
- 24 acres of open space and mixed-use development, with housing above restaurants, retail shops, a theatre, and a light rail station.
An active rail line, serving freight, Amtrak and commuter trains, traverses the site, dividing the riverfront from the street side. The rail line will remain. One street crosses under the tracks, providing access to the riverfront.
The final design for Parcel D that was developed jointly by California State Parks and the City of Los Angeles after more than a dozen community meetings incorporated every aspect originally proposed by the Coalition.