State Awards MRCA $2M in Grant Funds for the Development of Franklin Ivar Park

Hollywood is about to get a new public park at Franklin and Ivar. 

Last week California State Parks announced that it had awarded (.pdf) the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority $2 million in grant funding, from the Statewide Park Program, to develop the publicly owned vacant lot at Franklin and Ivar into a new public park. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased the lot (.pdf) from Caltrans in 2008. Since that time the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority, Hollywood Dell Civic Association, and others, have been working to secure funding to develop the lot into a public park.

Here is how the MRCA described the Franklin Ivar Park project in a July 2011 Staff Report (.pdf):

The proposed project is a 1 acre site in the heart of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. The site is bordered by an elevated off-ramp of interstate highway 101, local arterial street Franklin Avenue and a residential street Ivar Avenue. The site is currently planted and fenced off, much like other underutilized highway parklands. The land is owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority is working with Hollywood Dell Civic Association to convert this site into a park. The grant request will fund the following features of the park: an amphitheater, Hollywood overlook (with views to Palos Verdes beach community on a clear day), carbon eater screen, bike rack, solar powered water feature, adventure play area, wi-fi seating area, public art, grotto area, solar panel shaded area and an attractive security fence. Hollywood Dell Civic Association has spearheaded this park development and is aggressively working to secure funds to develop the site and have committed to funding maintenance and operation. They are scheduled to go to their governing board in July to authorize a letter of agreement to raise maintenance and operation funds for the park site.

I’ve long argued that Hollywood is in need of small neighborhood parks, so its great to hear that this park is moving forward. Franklin Ivar is not, by any stretch of imagination, the optimal location for a new park. However, given the needs in Hollywood, every little bit of new public green space is step in the right location. Congratulations to all those who helped make this park a reality -- with special thanks to the dedicated people at the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority and the Hollywood Dell Civic Association who’ve long spearheaded this effort.

For more information on the Franklin Ivar Park project contact Dash Stolarz, Director of Public Affairs for Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, at 323.221.9944 x198.

Images via Hollywood Dell Civic Association February 2012 Meeting Minutes (.pdf)