The creepy old decommissioned Lincoln Heights Jail, one-night home to Al Capone and a favorite of the filming set, could finally be brought back to life, courtesy of the Los Angeles River Revitalization Corporation and City Council District 1. They're working with local architects Perkins + Will (who are doing the job pro bono) to create a conceptual plan that could turn the property into a fabulous green zone and LA River access point, reports KCET. The city owns the jail building (it was built in 1949 and is an LA historic-cultural monument) and it sits within the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan and the (burgeoning) Cleantech Corridor, which both get a fair amount of attention.
The plan covers 30 years, but first up is a 24,000 square foot "urban agricultural space" on the roof of the six-story building--the River Revitalization Corporation is already working with potential operators and "A demonstration project could be up and running in 18 months' time." They're also applying for a grant so that they can get up to the roof in the first place: "In order to get to the roof, we have to fix the elevator. We have to fix the corridor. Nothing is in working condition," a rep tells KCET. And the group is applying for park funds to build a recreational climbing wall. With the roof and the wall in place, "RRC hopes to kickstart more financing."
· Lincoln Heights Jail as a 24,000 Square Foot Urban Rooftop Garden? [KCET]
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