The decision on whether the forthcoming Crenshaw Line will have a station in the heart of Leimert Park keeps getting delayed, but it should finally be announced at Thursday's Metro board meeting. While all the punting seemed to indicate bad news was on the way--Metro said they'd build the much-desired stop only if a contractor could squeeze it in without going over the $1.7-billion budget for the light rail line--it may be that some last-minute wrangling was going on behind closed doors. Mayor Villaraigosa is apparently fighting hard for the station and said so in a recent television interview, then backed that up with a more specific statement to The Sentinel: "I am strongly committed to a station at Leimert Park, and my office has worked closely with the City Council to identify $40 million to contribute towards the building of that station. I look forward to working in partnership with the MTA Board of Directors to make the Leimert Park station a reality."
It'd be a surprise for the Mayor to make a public announcement without being certain the station can be built with the money, but one thing not penciling out just yet is the total cost. The Leimert stop, at Crenshaw and Vernon, was supposed to cost north of $130 million. That was assuming the station would be underground, so maybe the $40 million is for an above-ground stop? Stay tuned.
· Mayor Villaraigosa Committed to Funding for Leimert Park Station-Stop [The Sentinel]
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