The Macy's Plaza in the Financial District is on its way to becoming the much more inviting The Bloc shopping complex; the makeover will switch out the old fortress look for a much airier design that's open to the sidewalk, and now comes news that it could also possibly include the ultimate pedestrian-friendly addition: direct access to the subway. The Downtown News says the Metro Board is scheduled to discuss the possibility of a new portal inside The Bloc that would connect the mall to the Seventh Street/Metro Center station. Genius.
The additional access point would be the only subway entrance/exit on the south side of Seventh Street, ideally cutting down on street crossings and reducing the congestion inside the busy station, which is only expected to increase with the opening of the Expo Line extension in 2016.
Metro's Planning and Programming Committee is requesting $400,000 for the project from the the Board of Directors, which is set to discuss the matter tomorrow. The Bloc's $160-million renovation is scheduled to be finished in the fall of 2015 and includes an Art-Deco-inspired makeover for the neighboring Sheraton, plus a fancy, hip theater and maybe even a Trader Joe's.
· Metro Entrance Proposed for The Bloc [DN]
· New Renderings Revealed For DTLA's Macy's Fortress Makeover [Curbed LA]
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