Dodgers’ McCourt unveils stadium makeover plan

Dodgers owner Frank McCourt unveiled plans today for a historic makeover of the club’s 300-acre Dodger Stadium site in Chavez Ravine, describing new features designed to transform the ballpark into a year-round destination for dining, shopping and recreation that will be both fan- and environment-friendly.

At the same time, McCourt challenged civic leaders to follow his $500-million investment by extending bus and subway lines to the ballpark.

“The ultimate way to improve access to Dodger Stadium is public transit,” McCourt said.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said he would be happy to work with the Dodgers on finding ways other than driving to get people to Chavez Ravine.

“That clarion call, that challenge, I like that,” Villaraigosa said. “Isn’t it amazing that we built a public transportation system and it never connected to Dodger Stadium? Wouldn’t it be great if we said, ‘This city is going to also rectify the errors of the past and do something to change that’? I like that idea. Let’s get working on it.”

McCourt said that in addition to two parking garages and additional subterranean parking to replace the 2,000 spaces lost to construction, the renovations planned by 2012 would include a dedicated bus lane running directly to a transit plaza adjacent to the stadium.

He also said he hoped local leaders would “tweak and adjust subway lines” to add a Dodger Stadium stop and provide “bus access in the interim.”

City Councilman Ed Reyes, whose district includes Dodger Stadium, said the ballpark renovation “hopefully can stimulate a whole new transit system that gets us in and out of this great place.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com