112-year-old Metro garage gets new lease as LACMA satellite
LA Metro’s South Park Shops have served many purposes since the now derelict property opened in 1906. According to the Metro Transportation Library and Archive, streetcars and then metro buses were housed and maintained there. Over time the space became less and less useful, falling into disrepair by the early 2000s. Most of the old buildings on the nine-acre site in the South Park neighborhood of South LA were razed to turn the area into what is now Wetlands Park.
Only one structure remains, a gigantic warehouse with boarded-up windows, that some longtime residents in the community can’t remember ever seeing occupied. After collecting dust for decades, Building 71, as it’s referenced in city documents, is getting a new lease and a considerably less utilitarian role as the location of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s forthcoming satellite campus.
Last month, the LA City Council voted unanimously to allow LACMA a 35-year lease on the 80,000-square-foot building. The museum has taken on the mantle of revitalizing the massive space — bringing art and programming from its Mid-Wilshire complex to South Los Angeles. LACMA will fully launch the satellite museum in 17 months looking to break ground with the community this summer.
“We don’t want to go somewhere people don’t want us,” said Miranda Carroll, the senior director of communications at LACMA. The goal, she noted, is for the museum to reach a diverse range of communities with exhibitions, after-school programming and other events.
The area surrounding Wetlands Park could greatly benefit from LACMA’s proposed involvement, according to Curren Price Jr., the city councilman who represents the 9th District that includes the park. He said the museum’s expansion will expose local youth to renowned exhibits and art.
“Art is essential to the development of our boys and girls,” Price said, adding that one out of three people in his district is a minor. “Unfortunately, a trip to the museum is a luxury for some. Through this partnership, we will create a wonderful hub for learning, creativity, exploration and imagination right in our own backyard.”
Despite LACMA’s intentions to benefit South Park community members, some say they are wary. Gretchen Watts, a mother of two and longtime resident of South Los Angeles, visits Wetlands Park daily to exercise. She believes the addition of a LACMA satellite walks a fine line between disruption and creation.
“LACMA needs to be careful not to impede on our community,” Watts said. “We need this park and its tracks because it is one of the only safe places to exercise in the area. But using that vacant building is a good way to finally get the kids in this area involved with arts too.”
For the past 10 years, LACMA has run an offshoot museum out of the Charles White Elementary School near MacArthur Park that connects students with contemporary curators and artists, Carroll said. LACMA’s new campus will utilize similar tactics, albeit in a much larger space.
Another attraction for the museum is that the new project will enable it to provide programming to serve the 9,500 students within a mile radius of the new location, according to a report for the Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners.
The LACMA team hopes the new location will make their after-school programming more accessible to the South Los Angeles residents, while also offering a space for lectures, movies, music and an art library. Before solidifying any specific programming plans, however, Michael Govan, the director of LACMA, and his team will continue to meet with community members to get a better sense of how to best serve them.
“When you’re talking about services to an underserved area, this is a classic location,” Councilman Price said. “LACMA is demonstrating an authentic commitment to uniting people through art, culture and education — no matter their background or socioeconomic status.”
