The Los Angeles City Council is considering a motion (pdf) to rename the intersection of Fifth and Spring streets in the Historic Core of Downtown as "Parkinson Square," for John Parkinson, one of LA's under-appreciated citybuilders. "While some might not recognize the name of John Parkinson, there is no doubt they wouldn't recognize Los Angeles without the genius of his architectural work," says Councilmember Jose Huizar in a statement sent to Curbed. Parkinson's legacy is most conspicuous in some of the city's most prominent public buildings: City Hall (with Albert C. Martin and John C. Austin), Union Station, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. He also designed Bullocks Wilshire (now Southwestern La School) and the Homer Laughlin Building (now Grand Central Market). A recent LA Times article recommends standing at the corner of Fourth and Spring to get an idea of the scale of Parkinson's contributions to the city; from there is it's possible to see "at least" 12 buildings of his design. The Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council has already voted to support the motion, and Councilmember Huizar has also asked for feedback from the Downtown Historic Business Improvement District. To achieve full approval, the motion must still go before the Public Works and Gang Reduction Committee, and then the full council for a final vote. This isn't the first time an intersection on Fifth Street in Downtown has been named for a famous Angeleno: in 2012, Fifth and Flower was renamed for author Ray Bradbury.
· Official Council Motion [Council File: 13-0704]
· Architect John Parkinson built for Los Angeles' growing metropolis [LA Times]
Filed under:
Loading comments...