Behold LA’s New Civic Center Park

I was at L.A.’s City Hall the other day when I took this photo of the nearly complete Grand Avenue Park. Opening ceremonies, featuring music and dance performances, are scheduled for July 28th and 29th.

The 12-acre expanse of lawns, fountains and performance spaces sweeps from the foot of the Music Center on Grand Avenue to the front door of City Hall on Spring Street. The County Hall of Administration and the County Courts building flank the park to it’s north and south.

The park took two years and $56 million to build with the hope that it will be a centerpiece in downtown L.A.’s continuing revitalization and provide an oasis for the neighborhood’s growing residential population. But critics say the public money could have been better spent on new or improved parks in communities far from downtown.