Downtown News looks today at the options facing the two hulking LA County office buildings flanking Downtown's Grand Park: should they stay or should they go? The problems with the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration and Stanley Mosk Courthouse are a mix of practical and ephemeral: In the latter category is the worry that the "buildings today express an antiquated notion of government: massive, monolithic and sadly lacking in character. None of the transparency, public access or creative vitality of, say, the Walt Disney Concert Hall" or the Caltrans building. Also that they're kinda ugly. More pressingly, the buildings need modernizing, including new sprinkler and alarm systems and "lateral load stabilization," plus an assessment of how they're meeting the County's needs. Modernization is far and away the cheapest option; using the city's experience building a new police headquarters as a guide, DN says replacing the 750,000 square feet of space could cost $750 million. Yikes.
· As Grand Park Thrives, County Buildings Are in the Crosshairs [DN]
Should the County Buildings Around Grand Park Stay or Go?
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